I recently purchased a Sallet and would be Interested in your comments. The Sallet was in a rough state and I have spent a lot of time doing carefull restoration. Weigh`s 4.50 pounds, has turned under wired rim, one piece scull and of quality.
I have sent photographs to a well known top expert in the UK and have said ( In there opinion it is probably a fake )because of "Quote" The corrosion patterns are typical of modern pieces that have been rapidly ‘aged’. this was said only from photographs and not handled !!!
The corrosion vary`s from deep to mild, Little on the top getting worse going down to the tail, bad were the helmet has been lying on Its side but all over different degrees of pitting and would be difficult to do, unless you know better. Also after removing corrosion there is about 60% of rock hard black paint. ( Tar, pitch )
I know there are good fakes around but I am not convinced as yet. Any help please would be appreciated.

The picture of the two Sallets shows the left one known as the Coventry Sallet.

Thanks Tony...

As long as it is not a badly forged (not a pun) piece, it is very difficult to judge from pics.

Maybe your super-expert is a real one but I would go for a series of analisis made in faculty lab.....

I just wanted to add that regardless of the sallet's age, it was in very rough shape when you began, and you did a nice job of cleaning it up!

Jonathan

Thanks Jonathan,
Thanks for your comments, I agree with you, I have emailed the Leeds Armoury ( without pics ) to try to take It for there expert advice but still waiting for reply. The expert I sent the pics to I was hoping they would want to see but just said "The corrosion patterns are typical of modern pieces that have been rapidly ‘aged" Full Stop....
I have been offered help by an member and this was the Idea of putting the helmet on.
Thanks Tony.

Tony,
I think I understand your frustration now. You were not frustrated that he or she suggested it might be fake, but that he or she gave you no more than one sentence. Do I have that right? This museum sounds like a rather accessible place and is discussed in this thread. Perhaps someone there could help you?

Jonathan

Yes Jonathan,
left me in mid-air but will sort It.
Thanks Tony.

Hi I am new here but wanted to comment on your helmet. Looks real enough to me but now I am concerned. The sallet in the attached picture is also supposedly authentic. I am waiting for it to ship. I won it on ebay at lower than average price for a 16th century helmet. I guess the only way to know would be to have it dated in a lab.
Sam

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The infamous sallet

Those sallets do look a lot alike. I wonder if you both got them from eBay?

Sam, I'm sending you a PM.

Jonathan

well that is interesting. Before you sell the farm the museum I worked at had a number of helmets that were near identical, (in fact a former curator had even misnumbered a few with the others numbers they were so similar). Lab testing it the best way in the end to see but getting it looked at in person would be a good start.

RPM

I am now convinced that there is a dead rat in the pudding. Its just too much coincidence and look at this other Sallet I was going to buy. Too good to be true for 300 pounds, but looks great. The seller has great feedback overall, so who's to know. Thanks for your help with this, I am more than a little miffed over this.

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Yes, to good to be true I think but whatever they are there good.

2 points:

1) even dents are identical appearance, a sign of forgery made by the same forger. Forgers ever leave such identification marks, there would be no need to leave marks like these, but they want to impress customers ending up overantiquing so forcing impressions fastly on prospective victims, so leaving telltale forgery marks for experts.

2) dents and the visor demonstaret that the metal is of poor quality and very thin, I guess it is in the 1mm - 1.5 mm range at most.

Original helms were at least 2 mm thick, and the ones who survive do not have such dents.

This helms remind me of modern toys, or 19t centuries victorian reproes at best.

The lines and proportions of the "E-bay" sallets do not seem to be historically accurate. The workmanship is more along the lines of a Victorian re-creator than of a medievil careered armourer, one who had to produce a battle worthy product. A period apprentice would have probably done a better job...

Dont really agree, look at the Covetry Sallet, not a lot of differance.

The dents bother me as well. I antiqued a cabasset before I really paid much attention to armour, and the first thing I did was whack it with a khukri to give the impression that the helmet had been "used" in combat. Since then I've seen lots of antique helmets and not one with that kind of damage. I like to think I'm better informed now. Interesting, though, that the first thing I thought to do was try to bash in the helmet. I suspect that's the first thing predatory forgers do as well, to prove to the unsuspecting that their work is "real".