German WWII Luftwaffe M1935 Double Decal Helmet, ET64, WERKSTATT

Original era manufacture. Satin blue paint finish with original decals as shown. Near complete leather liner, missing the adjusting string, stitching split in the rear, and the top of one of the ears has pulled away on one. The liner is of a later type, and is certainly a period replacement, which is perhaps intriguingly explained by the word 'WERKSTATT', (Workshop), which is hand carved into the paint on the front of the helmet. There is an old sales tag which was on the helmet at the time of our purchase, where the former owner stated that the handmade chinstrap was a period replacement as well. All of these stories have to be taken at face value, as there is no way to prove them, but, the WERKSTATT inscription is intriguing, as I cannot imagine a collector or dealer, defacing an otherwise very presentable Luftwaffe helmet shell with a penknife. In the end soldiers do things to their equipment and uniforms that suits 'them', not caring a whit for what we will care 80 years later. As I am fond of saying, 'some of this stuff has to be real' (big smile), each of us has to interpret and ponder these old relics and make our own decisions about them.