Pith helmet original or post war

[easterneagle87]

Have seen this pity helmet for sale AND the obvious question….

 

Real or Repo? I think with the plastic strap on the inside it’s a later production. Thoughts?

[Cap Camouflage Pattern I]

Post-war.

 

There actually were some wartime ones with plastic chinstraps, other ones have real leather. Post war ones tend to have a fake-leather chinstrap. 

 

One of the biggest tells that this is postwar is the brackets on the side are made of plastic, all wartime ones (of this style) had carboard brackets which tear and crumple when damaged rather than shatter like these ones. Also in this bad of a condition the green paint on the cardboard ones would flake off revealing both the carboard and the light red primer coat. 

 

Also the dome vent appears to be steel as it has rusted, while all wartime ones are aluminum.

 

I think the same applies to the badge on the front, but I'm not very familiar with them.