Lobster tailed helmet circa 1640

[Victrix]

I think some zischägges and other helmets and armour were blackened whilst others were not. Probably some of the more munitions grade items used in the field/in action were blackened, but some more decorated items clearly were not. On some items the partial blackening form part of the decoration. I found this in Peter Krenn and Walter Karcheski’s “Imperial Austria, Treasures of Art, Arms & Armour from the State of Styria” (1998).

[AHorsa]

Thanks for the information Victrix. That makes sense

Originally Posted by Victrix

I think some zischägges and other helmets and armour were blackened whilst others were not. Probably some of the more munitions grade items used in the field/in action were blackened, but some more decorated items clearly were not. On some items the partial blackening form part of the decoration. I found this in Peter Krenn and Walter Karcheski’s “Imperial Austria, Treasures of Art, Arms & Armour from the State of Styria” (1998).

[AHorsa]

Let me add something to this old thread:

Here we have an example with a "modern" calotte dated 1652 and marked a with an "M". As this piece is from the arsenal of Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm von Brandenburg, it is one more hint that the marks "L", "M" etc. is not an arsenal but a makers mark.

https://www.hermann-historica.de/de/.../lot/id/138656

[Victrix]

Originally Posted by AHorsa

Let me add something to this old thread:

Here we have an example with a "modern" calotte dated 1652 and marked a with an "M". As this piece is from the arsenal of Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm von Brandenburg, it is one more hint that the marks "L", "M" etc. is not an arsenal but a makers mark.

https://www.hermann-historica.de/de/.../lot/id/138656

Is it a “M” or a “W”?

I think at the very least it might be a batchmaker’s mark. These helmets seem to have been fairly mass produced.

Interestingly the lames on the neck guard look like they are bolted together to stay in place as the leather straps are gone. The question is whether they were bolted together when the leather fell off, but it looks the lames were bolted together from the beginning. Otherwise presumably there would be additional holes.

[AHorsa]

I think it is an M taking into account the direction of the "F" and "L"s from the other examples.
The lames were not boltet together. Those center bolts / rivets are for decoration. The rivets on the inside did hold the leather that has gone. But this central leather strip didn't had an important function.