I remember reading a comic as a child where one of these helmets was a prized war trophy. The Tommy goes to pick it up and BOOM! It is booby-trapped! Sorry, just sharing a childhood memory there. Thanks for another great video.
Putting a bomb in your own helmet and walking around a battlefield with it sure is dangerous, but mein gott is it worth it when you see the look on the unsuspecting Tommy's face! We had quite the laugh about it back in the field hospital. Those of us that still had heads did anyway.
In theory the spike should enforce the top of the helmet against sabre blows from attacking cavallery. Although i never read an account of any soldier who ever got his skull saved this way. Maybe someone else knows?
I heard that but could not find any evidence. The fact that at times they went into battle with the spike removed leans more towards the idea its there for aesthetic design rather than practicality. The helmet does have a brass base for the spike which I can see deflecting a blow... but the spike itself.. I just cant see it, its something that would catch a blade rather than deflect it. Thank you so much for watching
If you strike with a sabre from an elevated position down, the spike will divert the blade sideways, so it doesn't hit with the full force the top of ther head. I don't know if this was realy effective, but that's the theory. I've never heard that the spike was removed in battle. At least before WWI. At some occasions, the pickelhaube was replaced with the forage cap; i.e. in the battle of Dybbol 1864.
Excellent video! I’m scrolling through having got covid..AGAIN in two years. Still here :) just purchased a cover for mine with separate regiment numbers to sew on. Grand one :) liked and s’bd like a gentleman xD
At first : The official name of this helmet was , Helm mit Spitze' NOT Pickelhaube. The version with spike was used by line infantry and dragoons ( which once had been simply mounted infantry), artillry gunners had a ball to prevent accidents. Officers models had a metal decorated chin strap , and for ceremonies the Spike could be replaced with a feather plume(?). The design for army was regulated, but the coat of arms plate was different in every state, also the cocarde between helmet and chin strap was at one side in the german national colours ( prussian black-white and Berlin red), at the second side in state colours ( for example Württemberg black-red). The troops of the principalities and free towns ( mostly only 300 men )had been in 1867 disbanded and integrated into prussian Regiments, so perhaps there had been no or only very few helmets of Hamburg, Bremen, Lübeck, Waldeck- Pyrmont, Lippe- Detmold, Schwarzburg- Sondershausen, Schwarzburg- Rudolstadt, Reuß- Greitz or Reuß- Scheitz. The troops of non prussian kingdoms , grandduchies and duchies adopted prussian gear ( bavarian army in bavarian blue instead of prussian blue), but could keep their old regiment flags. Light infantry ( Jäger) and socalled technical troops had the Tschako, this helmet replaced after 1918 the Helm mit Spitze as police headgear ( in West Beriin until late 60s). Also older reserve soldiers ( Landwehr and Landsturm) had this helmet. The third leather helmet was the Tschapka used by lancers,, the name and the ,tip down pyramide ' on top showed the polish origin , see the caps oft current polish presidents ceremonial guards. The hussars had the cylindrical hussars cap, made of fur and strengthend with cardboatd or thin wires. Cuirassiers and palace units had a metal version of Helm mit Spitze . Palace units of non prussian states often used caps or helmets of pre 1870 style, for example bavarian Raupenhelm. Also bavarian generals sometimes used a generals hat instead of a helmet, because the bavarian army had some special rights, to a much lower degree also wurttembergian and royal saxon army.
1.5kg... its like having a bag of flour on the head.. That is just mine though and others might have weighed more.. Over the decades (1840s-1890s) steps where taken to reduce weight.. your right on the neck protection and prone too... overall it is a practical helmet compared to what came before.
First questions I had were why the spike? and I like the answer, because it's cool! 2nd was there no strap how does the dang thing stay on? Lol. Very interesting history :) And further congratulations on the explosion in channel growth sir!
...dieser Helmform wurde unter anderem auch gegen Schwerthiebe konzipiert - der Pickel sollte sie ablenken. Mein Urgroßvater trug so einen Helm noch während des 1. WK und war sehr unpraktisch aufgrund des Pickels und wurde ja aus gegeben Anlass gegen den "alten Fritz" ersetzt
I remember reading a comic as a child where one of these helmets was a prized war trophy. The Tommy goes to pick it up and BOOM! It is booby-trapped! Sorry, just sharing a childhood memory there.
Thanks for another great video.
Thank you so much for watching.. These helmets were highly prized as war trophies in WW1 your right
Putting a bomb in your own helmet and walking around a battlefield with it sure is dangerous, but mein gott is it worth it when you see the look on the unsuspecting Tommy's face! We had quite the laugh about it back in the field hospital. Those of us that still had heads did anyway.
The 'spike' started life as a holder for a plume of feathers. Eventually the feathers were eliminated and the spike was retained.
pickelhauben.net/parade-plumes/
In theory the spike should enforce the top of the helmet against sabre blows from attacking cavallery. Although i never read an account of any soldier who ever got his skull saved this way. Maybe someone else knows?
I heard that but could not find any evidence. The fact that at times they went into battle with the spike removed leans more towards the idea its there for aesthetic design rather than practicality. The helmet does have a brass base for the spike which I can see deflecting a blow... but the spike itself.. I just cant see it, its something that would catch a blade rather than deflect it. Thank you so much for watching
Reinforce
what is a sabre blow?
If you strike with a sabre from an elevated position down, the spike will divert the blade sideways, so it doesn't hit with the full force the top of ther head. I don't know if this was realy effective, but that's the theory.
I've never heard that the spike was removed in battle. At least before WWI. At some occasions, the pickelhaube was replaced with the forage cap; i.e. in the battle of Dybbol 1864.
As a child I actually thought the spike was designed to impale your enemy.
Naw, it just looks cool.
That would be cool
A little hint for German pronunciation the "von" in "Otto von Bismarck" is pronounced more like "fon".
Great Video by the way!
Oh my god dude 2.2k subs!?!? Damn you blew up that sub count, keep the vids coming!
Will do... thanks man
Excellent video! I’m scrolling through having got covid..AGAIN in two years. Still here :) just purchased a cover for mine with separate regiment numbers to sew on. Grand one :) liked and s’bd like a gentleman xD
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Man I have been looking for one of those
Keep it up man, one of my favorite youtuber's.
Thanks man
excellent video
At first : The official name of this helmet was , Helm mit Spitze' NOT Pickelhaube. The version with spike was used by line infantry and dragoons ( which once had been simply mounted infantry), artillry gunners had a ball to prevent accidents. Officers models had a metal decorated chin strap , and for ceremonies the Spike could be replaced with a feather plume(?). The design for army was regulated, but the coat of arms plate was different in every state, also the cocarde between helmet and chin strap was at one side in the german national colours ( prussian black-white and Berlin red), at the second side in state colours ( for example Württemberg black-red). The troops of the principalities and free towns ( mostly only 300 men )had been in 1867 disbanded and integrated into prussian Regiments, so perhaps there had been no or only very few helmets of Hamburg, Bremen, Lübeck, Waldeck- Pyrmont, Lippe- Detmold, Schwarzburg- Sondershausen, Schwarzburg- Rudolstadt, Reuß- Greitz or Reuß- Scheitz. The troops of non prussian kingdoms , grandduchies and duchies adopted prussian gear ( bavarian army in bavarian blue instead of prussian blue), but could keep their old regiment flags. Light infantry ( Jäger) and socalled technical troops had the Tschako, this helmet replaced after 1918 the Helm mit Spitze as police headgear ( in West Beriin until late 60s). Also older reserve soldiers ( Landwehr and Landsturm) had this helmet. The third leather helmet was the Tschapka used by lancers,, the name and the ,tip down pyramide ' on top showed the polish origin , see the caps oft current polish presidents ceremonial guards. The hussars had the cylindrical hussars cap, made of fur and strengthend with cardboatd or thin wires. Cuirassiers and palace units had a metal version of Helm mit Spitze . Palace units of non prussian states often used caps or helmets of pre 1870 style, for example bavarian Raupenhelm. Also bavarian generals sometimes used a generals hat instead of a helmet, because the bavarian army had some special rights, to a much lower degree also wurttembergian and royal saxon army.
I learned about this because of tords hat...and its nice to know more history
Because it looks cool.
Basically hats and helmets of the line battle period are just made to stand out and be easily identifiable
I'd like to know where I can buy a prussian pickelhaube. Wonderful Video.
Prezentiert!
Different fighting arms had different tops. Artillery a ball, infantry the spike an cab had something else. 🇦🇺👍🍺
Cheers! What does it weigh? The downside of neck protection is that it can make it hard to shoot from prone, especially when wearing a pack.
1.5kg... its like having a bag of flour on the head.. That is just mine though and others might have weighed more.. Over the decades (1840s-1890s) steps where taken to reduce weight.. your right on the neck protection and prone too... overall it is a practical helmet compared to what came before.
At WWI era I tought its purpose is to stab the enemy who jumped into the trench but headbanging it lmao
Does colonel klink know you have his pickelhauben??
First questions I had were why the spike? and I like the answer, because it's cool! 2nd was there no strap how does the dang thing stay on? Lol. Very interesting history :)
And further congratulations on the explosion in channel growth sir!
Thank you so much for watching. I'm pleased I tackled your questions... I
It has a strap, you can see where it connected to the sides
Wouldve been useful for the Bushwhackers' Battering Ram Headbutt move.
where did you get that helmet from? is it possible to find and buy a wearable replica?
Wow, where did you buy it?
...dieser Helmform wurde unter anderem auch gegen Schwerthiebe konzipiert - der Pickel sollte sie ablenken. Mein Urgroßvater trug so einen Helm noch während des 1. WK und war sehr unpraktisch aufgrund des Pickels und wurde ja aus gegeben Anlass gegen den "alten Fritz" ersetzt
Hello