Finnish M55 Steel Helmet, Unissued

The German Stahlhelm is an iconic and recognizable artifact from one of the darkest periods in written history. A bit like the VW Beetle but not so delightful. These had a long service life and weren't removed from the Finnish armed forces' inventory until 2006!

Differing from the four-wheeled "Hitler's Revenge", the steel helmet was not a nazi invention but was initially adopted in 1916 and improved over time. The shape of the helmet had some kind of a hypno-magnetic evil aura to it from the start and it's no coincidence it was an inspiration for Darth Vader's helmet.

Finland purchased complete helmets from Germany and Hungary quite early on and up until the final years of WWII. Afterward, Finland bought M35/40 type shells from West Germany and fitted the suspension and chin straps domestically. These M55 helmets are the result.

Size info

The sizes run pretty small because Finns don't know how to make a good suspension system. (This, of course, didn't stop us) We suggest picking one size larger than your ordinary hat size.

Finnish Army Surplus

We got a batch of these in the original storage cages and papers. They awaited an invasion of the Soviet Union that never came. This is not to say the paint is faultless but there are no dents on these and the leather pieces are mint - do treat them with Ekol before using to make the leather supple again!