German Model 1895 Pickelhaube : Bavarian Regiment

German Other Rank's leather Pickelhaube with cloth cover, liner and chin strap intact. The helmet is painted black and has brass fittings, including a spike with five ventilation holes, visor trim, rear spine and frontplate. The frontplate is that of a Bavarian regiment and is secured by leather wedges which pass through two soldered loops which sit through the body of the helmet. Imperial and Bavarian cockades are in place at the chin strap attachments. The nine-tongued liner is partially secured with a length of cord. The leather chin strap has two square sizing buckles. Stamped into the rear visor is, '3B' and 11X [?]' and '57'. Handwritten in black on the rear visor is what appears to be, 'REB + RIEBEKE' and a signature that also appears twice on the front visor. Also on the front visor is 'X X X'. The cloth cover is in good condition and has the remnants of stitching at the front which appears to follow the number "21". It has ventilation gaps around and behind the spike and five metal hooks, stitched into reinforced pockets, to secure the cover to the helmet. This helmet is laterally compressed.

The history of this pickelhaube is not known. However it is possible that it belonged to a member of the 21st Bavarian Regiment.

The pickelhaube, in various forms and models, was used by Germany and its states since the 1840s. Features of pickelhauben were based more on military fashion, than on operational functionality, and provided little genuine protection to the wearer.

Usually made of leather (although some cavalry units wore steel pickelhauben) and painted black, helmet fittings would depend on the state, unit and rank of the wearer. Shortages during the First World War saw the introduction of ersatz helmets that were made of ersatz (substitute) materials such as felt, tin, steel or fibre. Pickelhauben were gradually phased out in 1916 with the introduction of the steel helmet (stahlhelm).