In general there are two different kinds of pickelhaube.

1. Private purchase (Also known as Eigentums helms these were purchased from a supplier or dealer)
2. Issued from government stocks. (These were supplied by the government, purchased by the government, and stored for issue.)

Within these two different kinds of pickelhaube you find ones that are:

1. officer helmets  (specific officer accoutrements-- all private purchase)
2. enlisted helmets ( specific enlisted accoutrements – mostly issued but some private purchase)
3. mixture of officer and enlisted parts ( one year volunteer helmets, Dienst helmets and Fähnrich helmets -- all private purchase)
4. helmets of officials ( Beamte)
5. police helmets
6. firefighter helmets

For a very long time I searched for simple rules and categories to place helmets into.  There is just no easy explanation.  There are explanations of generalizations but there are a million exceptions.  This is especially true of private purchase helmets.  This page is intended to keep my own thoughts straight.  I do hope it helps the reader.  My thoughts are always – always evolving. It is not my intent to be a one-stop reference. The best reference on the net is Tony’s at http://www.kaisersbunker.com/   .I have no intention of covering Beamte, police, or firefighter helmets.  However mentioning them is a prerequisite of understanding helmets.

Private purchase helmets were helmets that were purchased from a dealer and were owned by private individuals. The German meaning of Eigentums helms revolved around private property. Anybody could buy such a helmet.  They were the common gift of an upwardly mobile German society.  They were not cheap. You may want to read the article at http://www.pickelhauben.net/articles/PickelhaubeCost.htm to get a better idea of the cost of such a helmet.  In addition, a contemporary catalog from 1899 has been reprinted and is currently in print.  You can purchase it at: http://www.authorhouse.com/BookStore/ItemDetail.aspx?bookid=38699
Again anyone could buy these helmets.  Catalogs are complete with officer helmets, Beamte and police helmets. Helmet purchasing continued long after World War I as veterans groups continued to wear them. I have a 1932 Junkers catalog that has basically everything ever created. The retail dealers such as Neumann either assembled the helmets themselves or bought a complete helmet and pasted their name on it. The exact source of parts is not yet known in every circumstance however clearly there are differences between retail dealers. Some makers actually produced metal items with their firm name engraved on them. As purchase is extended beyond World War I the question is production through which date is considered original? There is no answer to this  question as of yet.  As there is no way to tell the date of production. For the most part I would tend to accept anything made in the 1930s as original.

Helmets issued from government stocks are all the more sturdy less higher-quality substance. These helmets were made by helmet makers who had contracts with the various army corps. It was common practice for a helmet maker to stamp his firm’s name somewhere in the helmet.  A partial list of helmet makers can be found at: http://www.pickelhauben.net/articles/Helmet_Makers.htm  .  This list contains both issue makers and private purchase dealers.  The helmet maker would make delivery to the corps Bekleidungsamt. The Bekleidungsamt might stamp some information into the helmet which is commonly known as a depot mark. It is well worth your time to read the article at: http://www.pickelhauben.net/articles/DepotMarks.htm . This will give you a general understanding of the markings on the back of the helmet.  Several years ago I was told that this endeavor was way too large.  Today, there is a good understanding of depot marks and they are discussed widely by collectors. There are major differences between helmet depot marks and the marks found on weapons.

There is great confusion and misunderstanding about the helmets of one-year volunteers. Five years ago most collectors divided helmets into officer/enlisted – and anything that did not fit was labeled a one-year volunteer helmet. Our understanding has increased geometrically and there is now a general understanding of what a one-year volunteer is or was. A one -year volunteer was a person who shortened his enlistment in the Army.  As a result he was required to pay for many things including his uniform. A one-year volunteer was an enlisted soldier. Let me say that again. A one-year volunteer was an enlisted soldier.  This individual was not entitled to become an officer but some could become reserve officers. You should read the articles at: http://www.pickelhauben.net/articles/new%20OneYearVolunteer.htm
http://www.pickelhauben.net/articles/MilitaryService.htm
This will give you a general understanding of the terms and methods used in service.

Felt helmets, those known as "tin", steel helmets, papier-mâché helmets, cork helmets and other wartime variants known as "Ersatz" helmets are discussed at:
http://www.pickelhauben.net/articles/ersatzarticle.htm
http://www.pickelhauben.net/articles/BKa.htm

In addition to Ersatz helmets the pickelhaube changed dramatically over time. You can track fundamentals of its development at: http://www.pickelhauben.net/identity/timeline.htm

The plate on the front of the helmet is known as the Wappen. These heraldic symbols and their origins are discussed here: http://www.pickelhauben.net/identity/wappen.htm

Officer specific accoutrements are discussed here: http://www.pickelhauben.net/identity/officer.htm
Enlisted specific accoutrements are discussed here:
http://www.pickelhauben.net/identity/Enlisted.htm

Questions and Answers