wwii axis reenactment forum

dagda wrote:Dont get me wrong! Ill probably(defo) be in the market for another FJ helmet(to add to the six other repros from ATF, Gmax,RZMilitaria ) I just dont get the whole buy a 500 quid helmet to make it look like its been in a bog for 60 years, but then again 'there is none as queer as folk'

It's an idividual choice thing, some people may want a good repro and brand new and untouched, others may want it battle damaged, tripple cammo'd with chicken wire and falling to bits and of course the range between these 2 extremes!
If people could afford (and find) the genuine helmet they wanted then they would buy it. But because FJ and other helmets are so expensive it puts them outside their price range and in step helmet repro creators such as myself and Mike.

Why do you have 6 helmets - probably beacause you liked each one as you came across them but why settle for those ones when you can get a better one......LOL p.s. add £100 if you want the 'bog' look

why 6 helmets ? one for every theatre ofcourse Thats £600 instead of £2400 which is near enough a price of an originaL, 3 more months and you can buy one .

I am just waiting for the day yours get sold to someone as an original

Maybe one day when i can justify £400 for a pot, ill get one for early war , better start saving

Im surprised by people's reaction to this product

Basicaly some think nothing of paying £200-£300 for repro
jump boots or jump smock, in some cases more.

So if its good and as close to the real thing as possible at
a small percentage of the cost why not this?????

Pipes

theres a difference in paying £200 for a pair of boots, £200 for a smock........ well about £200 difference

Peiper wrote:Im surprised by people's reaction to this product

Basicaly some think nothing of paying £200-£300 for repro
jump boots or jump smock, in some cases more.

So if its good and as close to the real thing as possible at
a small percentage of the cost why not this?????

Pipes

A good pair of boots will enshure that you can go throw your weekends in comfort

Like others have stated...It's all about personal preference. There are re-enactors who want the very best reproductions available and there are some that are happy buying and wearing the bare minimum.

Look at how many splinter A jump smocks are being sold and used.....same goes for the many "toy" helmets that are worn.

I lean to the side of re-enacting history....Not fantasy.

That's just my personal preference though......

Mike

BPatronen wrote:Like others have stated...It's all about personal preference. There are re-enactors who want the very best reproductions available and there are some that are happy buying and wearing the bare minimum.

Look at how many splinter A jump smocks are being sold and used.....same goes for the many "toy" helmets that are worn.

I lean to the side of re-enacting history....Not fantasy.

That's just my personal preference though......

Mike

So your saying anyone who dont use one of your or FJ helmets they re-enact fantasy ?? Thats a very intresting take . Ok I dont do FJ but have beem watching this topic with intrest

Franz repper wrote:

BPatronen wrote:Like others have stated...It's all about personal preference. There are re-enactors who want the very best reproductions available and there are some that are happy buying and wearing the bare minimum.

Look at how many splinter A jump smocks are being sold and used.....same goes for the many "toy" helmets that are worn.

I lean to the side of re-enacting history....Not fantasy.

That's just my personal preference though......

Mike

So your saying anyone who dont use one of your or FJ helmets they re-enact fantasy ?? Thats a very intresting take . Ok I dont do FJ but have beem watching this topic with intrest

I think Mike is saying that the majority of reenactors want to get things as accurate as possible right down to correct cigarettes to smoke or toothpase used! So reenacting using a better helmet just fits into that 'getting things accurate' category. But of course there is always a balance between money and accuracy, if all reeenactors were millionaires we would run around in 100% original equipment (assuming we had no disregard for historical items)!

Mike

I agree the product you have is good! It was the availability of the cheap Chinese helmets which basically killed off GMAX and At the front's products, which IMHO opinion were excellent,(I have both, and a refurbed original)!
I say good luck to you with your product and I mean it.

dagda wrote:and At the front's products, which IMHO opinion were excellent

Hi there

I also do have an older ATF helmet from the time when they were sold for almost 300$. The liner and the straps were ok but the shell was always bad! Yes, it was made of heavy steel and the finish and stamping was excellent but it was to shallow compared to an original and also was missing the front dip. When I got mine back than I took it apart only to find a "made in China" sticker on the inside of the liner. The current cheap China helmets are basically a B quality copy of the older ATF helmets.
Back than I kept the liner and straps and put them into a reworked DePeKa shell, also not the best on the market but at least of the correct heights.
I am definitely going to get a new helmet from FJ Fabrik in the new year...I have to wait until 71s become available anyway. Considering the fact that the helmets I so far have all costs me at least 250EUR including having to search for parts, the ~400EUR price tag for one that out of the box is (hopefully) perfect does not scare me.

cheers
Uwe

£6000 for an original in that condition?

Try eBay.de....you can get originals for a couple hundred euros...

Originals in that condition ARE that expensive!

The ones you have been seeing at ebay are all bad fakes..

fallschirmjaeger wrote:I guess its because an original in this condition is upwards of £6000, so wont be affordable to anyone, so the next best thing is an aged one at £500. This I guess is especially true if you have a mannequin type display, several museums also go for repros because they struggle to get originals!

£6000??????

In Germany you can get them for €500 to €600

Seriously, the market of the original stuff is much cheaper there and in Austria compared to all the other countries out there. In most cases you're a sucker (sorry, but has to be said) if you buy from places such as in Normandy or most shops in the US.

Oberleutnant Ulrich wrote:

fallschirmjaeger wrote:I guess its because an original in this condition is upwards of £6000, so wont be affordable to anyone, so the next best thing is an aged one at £500. This I guess is especially true if you have a mannequin type display, several museums also go for repros because they struggle to get originals!

£6000??????

In Germany you can get them for €500 to €600

Seriously, the market of the original stuff is much cheaper there and in Austria compared to all the other countries out there. In most cases you're a sucker (sorry, but has to be said) if you buy from places such as in Normandy or most shops in the US.

With respect never read so much tripe. No way in Germany can you get a fully complete FJ original helmet for that price. If so post an advert over the next few weeks and watch them be snapped up. You may get a relic I agree but not a fully complete original helmet.

any news about the 71 shells?