Rare WW1 C1916 Rimmed "Magnetic" Brodie Steel Helmet

ID: 3581

Rare WW1 C1916 Rimmed "Magnetic" Brodie Steel Helmet

Business Name: Raven Yard Antiques Shop
Located: Shropshire, UK
Name: Jan
Email: Enquiries@raven-antiques.com

Price: £375.00

Watch Item

Due to our desire as a club to talk to our customers directly, there is no payment system. However, pressing the 'reserve' button will prompt us to hold the item for one week, allowing to complete payment.

We have over 2000 items in our shop making it difficult for us to quote the postage of everything in advance. Please contact us to discuss postage.

Collection Available.

Description

A rare WW1-period rimmed “magnetic” Brodie steel helmet with its original leather liner. The steel was supplied by Edgar Allen & Co (AS), dating to circa April 1916. To clarify, both the shell and the rim are magnetic, not just the rim itself.

The first production Brodie Steel Helmet War Office Pattern helmets introduced in late 1915 were rimless and commonly produced from magnetic steel. In spring 1916 the pattern was revised with the addition of a rolled mild steel rim, together with a redesigned liner and chinstrap arrangement. Early examples of this revised rimmed pattern, such as this helmet, can still be found in magnetic steel before the wider adoption of non-magnetic manganese steel in September 1916. Around 4000 magnetic rimmed helmets were produced before the transition.

Contrary to popular belief, the change from magnetic to non-magnetic shells was not due to compass interference, but rather because manganese steel offered superior strength, toughness, and improved resistance to shrapnel impact.