WW1 Early War Issue Imperial German Bavarian Infantry 'Mannschaften' Pickelhaube Helmet

Just returned from a full day in our hand conservation and cleaning workshop to preserve its now fine condition for another 100 years.

An authentic and impressive example of a German Imperial Bavarian Model 1915-16 Pickelhaube, issued to the Infanterie-Leib-Regiment during World War I. With state and kingdom coloured roundels. Complete with its original chinstrap and inner 9 tongue liner complete and intact. Maker marked with a stamped oval on the interior skull by K Leinhein of Munich and date 1916. The badge appears to have never been removed since WW1, and still has its two, leather, narrow retaining wedges intact holding it in place.

This iconic spiked helmet features the distinctive Bavarian coat of arms with two crowned lions flanking the escutcheon, surmounted by the royal crown and set above a flowing scroll with the regiment's motto. The spike is vented and was unscrewable in order to originally access the hidden and concealed grenade striker, but age has made the unscrew action unavailable

Crafted with a leather body, this piece is fitted with grey-painted steel fittings standard to the 1915-16 wartime production, including the spike, front plate, and chinstrap. The original metal trim around the front visor and back spine is intact, and the helmet measures approximately 24 cm in length.

This historically significant helmet belonged to Bavaria’s elite infantry regiment—an excellent centrepiece for any militaria collection, particularly for collectors of WWI German headgear or Bavarian military history.

Condition: Very good for its age, with minor age-related wear. The peak stitching is no longer effective but its corner metal mounts hold it perfectly. All major components are present and well-preserved.

All helmets produced for the infantry before and during 1914 were made of leather. As the war progressed, Germany's leather stockpiles dwindled. After extensive imports from South America, particularly Argentina, the German government began producing ersatz Pickelhauben made of other materials. In 1915, some Pickelhauben started to be constructed from thin sheet steel. However, the German high command needed to produce an even greater number of helmets, leading to the usage of pressurized felt and even paper to construct Pickelhauben. The Pickelhaube was discontinued in 1916.

During the early months of World War I, it was soon discovered that the Pickelhaube did not measure up to the demanding conditions of trench warfare. The leather helmets offered little protection against shell fragments and shrapnel and the conspicuous spike made its wearer a target. These shortcomings, combined with material shortages, led to the introduction of the simplified model 1915 helmet described above, with a detachable spike. In September 1915 it was ordered that the new helmets were to be worn without spikes when in the front line.

Beginning in 1916, the Pickelhaube was slowly replaced by a new German steel helmet (the Stahlhelm) intended to offer greater head protection from shell fragments. After the adoption of the Stahlhelm, the Pickelhaube was reduced to limited ceremonial wear by senior officers away from the war zones; plus the Leibgendarmerie S.M. des Kaisers whose role as an Imperial/Royal escort led them to retain peacetime full dress throughout the war. With the collapse of the German Empire in 1918, the Pickelhaube ceased to be part of the military uniform, and even the police adopted shakos of a Jäger style. In modified forms the new Stahlhelm helmet would continue to be worn by German troops into World War II.

The Pickelhaube was often used in propaganda against the Germans as in the World War I poster in the gallery (Harry R. Hopps; 1917).
The spiked helmet remained part of a clichéd mental picture of Imperial Germany as late as the inter-war period even after the headdress had ceased to be worn. This was possibly because of the extensive use of the pickelhaube in Allied propaganda before and during World War I, although the helmet had been a well known icon of Imperial Germany even prior to 1914. Pickelhauben were popular targets for Allied souvenir hunters during the early months of the war.

Code: 25913