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Type-90 Helmet w/ Painted Star & Tac Marking - 1940


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Here is one more Japanese helmet that has been in my collection for 20+ that I have not shown in a long while. Maybe generate some discussion here with any more recent findings over the last few years as many in the past have questioned these helmets with the painted stars.

 

A fully complete size large Type-90 helmet finished in green. Stamp marked produced by the Kobe Seiko firm with a large size interior liner and padding dated to 1940 (Showa 15 Nen).

 

This helmet has a white painted star at front that many in the past attributed to post war done for display purposes.

 

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This one in particular is a bit different than I have seen in the past due to the rear marking applied much like a U.S. follow me stripe. I have never seen any info on such markings in the past.

 

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As said at the top, when first shown many years ago most believed that the stars were not painted during the war and were done post war. As for the rear marking, that just left many questions then honestly. I'm interested in learning any info, good or bad, that may have been discovered over the last few years on this subject.

 

For discussion as well is this picture that was sent to me. No exact time period or location given then, but it would seem to confirm that the star was painted at some point on a small scale. You can make out the unpainted star on the helmet at right. Any info on this picture is appreciated as well.

 

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Thanks for looking

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  • 5 weeks later...
daniel griffin

I have purchased helmets directly from veterans estates with red painted stars that certainly appeared to have been period painted. Yours sure looks like old white paint, I would have no doubt that it was applied wartime, why? no one seams to know.

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Because 18, 19 & 20 something soldiers in Japan were no different than their same aged American, German, Russian, British, etc, counterparts. When you're bored, you do dumb things. Textbook doesn't apply because these guys weren't following the rules much less the textbooks.;) I think this helmet is 100% period legit.

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Looks like a nice helmet to me also! I was watching an old US training film on Netflix called "Know Your Enemy - Japan" made in 1945. In one part (about 12 minutes in) where they are talking about Shintoism, there is a brief view of these bullet-riddled helmets with white painted stars.

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  • 1 month later...

Looks like the fastener heads holding the liner in are flat and not domed? If so, and with that leather liner, I would think this helmet a navy not an army. The army did use leather liners very early but mostly pigskin. Just my two cents, and the fastener heads are hard to see in the pictures. Scott

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Thanks for the reply and thoughts, much appreciated. I am no expert on these helmets, but would like to find out if anyone knows if the Army issue helmets also used the flat fastener heads at certain points as I have another Army example shown here in a different thread produced in 1941 which to also seems to have the same type flat fastener heads. Thanks.

 

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Lots to look for. Basically your helmet conforms to the army style as it has a stamped dated liner which only the army did and it has a painted size marking, also only army. The liner leather pads however appear to be in the navy style as army's generally have a seam up the center. The liner band should be sewn on the back with two or three stitches. Two for navy, three for army. Split pins are generally but not always domed a bit for army and always flat for navy. I am going off the top of my head and have not collected Japanese in nearly 25 years... So, a great place to look is on the ghw2 forum as they are really focused on helmets, That said, what I am telling you still rings true and I think you will be able to find that and more on ghw2. Basically your helmet checks most of the boxes for army, but not all, that happens and I still think you have a good helmet. I would just need to see it in hand to be 100%. Scott

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