The M1917 Stahlhelm refined the original M1916 design, part of the Imperial German Army's ongoing effort to replace the traditional Pickelhaube with genuinely effective steel protection. Field experience with the M1916 fed directly into this revised pattern, reflecting the German military's willingness to iterate its equipment even mid-war under demanding production pressures. The M1917 retained the recognisably German silhouette established by its predecessor, evoking the medieval sallet rather than the broad-brimmed styles favoured by Britain and France.
The Stahlhelm ('steel helmet') was developed by the Imperial German Army to replace the traditional boiled-leather Pickelhaube, whose spiked design offered little real protection against the shrapnel and shell fragments that dominated casualties in trench warfare. The first Stahlhelms were tested at the Kummersdorf Proving Ground in November 1915 and field-tested by German assault troops before wider issue began in 1916. Its distinctive silhouette, resembling the medieval sallet rather than the kettle-hat shape favoured by British and French designs, remained recognisably German through every subsequent redesign for the next three decades.
Part of our World War heritage range.
Use for:
- World War living history and re-enactment
- Museum-style display on a stand
- Militaria-themed home decor and collections
- Historical events and living history fairs
- Film and theatre productions set in the First or Second World War
- Collectors of World War-era military helmets
