M17 Austrian Transitional Helmet Chinstraps - New
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These chinstrap's are replicas of the early transitional model straps used on M17 Austrian Helmets. However the buckles and fixing studs are original!
The M17 Austrian helmet had fixed bales so the chinstrap was attached directly to the helmet - not the liner like later models.
Austria-Hungary began its own licensed helmet production in May 1917. Around a million Stahlhelm of all variants were issued until the end of the war. The Austrian M17 helmet was similar to the German M16 but was coloured golden-brown (known as Isonzo-braun), had a cloth chinstrap and had the chinstrap rivet located higher up on the steel shell. From May 1917 till the end of World War I 534,013 were produced, many of which were manufactured at the Krupp plant in Berndorf, Lower Austria.
Following the end of WW1 many of the Austrian helmets were reused by the Germans and chinstraps were replaced with leather versions. The SS used many of these chinstraps on the Austrian Transitional helmet.
In summary, the leather is reproduction and the buckle and fixing studs are genuine.
