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How to Restore a WWII Russian Helmet

Soviet helmets from the Second World War are becoming increasingly rare to find. Collectors of World War II memorabilia often prize many different relics from the Soviet Army, in large part because of the numbers of those collectibles that disappeared during the unraveling of the Eastern Bloc in the late 20th century. If you do find a Soviet helmet from that time period, it is likely to need some careful restoration work to take on the look of the 1940s.

Things You'll Need

Water
Cotton towels
Liquid soap
Limescale remover
Scrub brush
Fine brush
Blow dryer
Rustproof paint

Instructions

- 1
  Clean the helmet by soaking it in liquid soap mixed with water. Remove any leather parts before soaking the metal portion of the helmet.
- 2
  Place the helmet on a cotton cloth. Look for any insignia, such as the hammer and sickle or a Russian bear, on the helmet. Spray the helmet with limescale remover. Do not apply the spray to any appliques or other insignia that you do not want to clean off.
- 3
  Rinse the limescale remover off with water. Clean the helmet with your cloth and the large and fine brush, depending on how set the dirt is. Be careful around areas that still have original paint so that you don't scrape it off.
- 4
  Blow dry the metal parts of the helmet. However, if any leather got wet during the cleaning process, set it out to dry in the air.
- 5
  Cover the metal parts of the helmet with petroleum jelly when it is dry. Afterward, spray on rustproof paint where needed.

Collecting Memorabilia