Spectacular one of a kind and published officer Pickelhaube

Excellent first world war privately purchased officers helmet made by Ludwig Bortfeldt, Bremen. This helmet is thé cover helmet pictured on Feldzug, Volume 1 by Michael Baldwin. The helmet is a well known and well documented example; probably one of the most wanted examples out there. Underneath is a quote from Michael Baldwin’s observations on this very helmet from Feldzug, volume 1. 

The helmet was for an officer in an unidentified  Dragoon regiment. It was much more difficult to construct than the previous Sharko: The whole body is made of cloth-covered cork including the peaks, as is the silhouetted front plate, visible under the cloth covering as well as the cockades. All the other helmet furniture is cloth0covered metal, apart from the uncovered, raw brass, convex mounted, troop styled chin scales. There is another identical helmet among the very large helmet collection in the Fort De La Pompelle, a very good museum just outside of the city of Reims, France. This helmet has uncovered chin scales. It may transpire that this was a Bortfeldt feature but this is my own speculation.

There is a glued repair to the spike at some time in the past and the lower portion shows evidence of previously having eyelets/grommets in the ventilation holes. There are six sewn cotton retaining loops to the front of the badge and four to the rear. Although now missing, these would have held in place red woolen regimental numbers which were mounted on the same type of cloth that is covering the helmets exterior, when required for field manoeuvres or wartime service.

This is a spectacular helmet is exceptionally rare and can be seen on the cover and extensively photographed inside of Feldzug, Volume 1 – making this one of the most desirable first world war Pickelhauben on the market today!