Re: Rocketeer helmet LINER/PADDING needed
This helmet is actually an original. Though I cannot supply proof of it's lineage, the individual I purchased it from many years ago claims to have obtained it from the prop shop that made them for the movie - this one was a 'left over' not used in production.
It is fiberglass and is SA with the exception of the welding around the fin - when I recieved the helmet, is was beat the heck and back - the fin was broken off and several large chunks were missing from the chin and back area. This helmet needed some serious TLC and my wonderfully skilled father was able to repair it (you can't even tell there was any damage at all).
We were never able to give it a better paint job so I am in the process right now of refurbishing it to prep it for sale:love
I can't begin to tell you how many times I've heard that exact same story and I hate to tell you this. I think oftentimes it's information provided out of ignorance (no offense intended) - not malicious intent. But I have also seen it repeated with malicious intent to make a profit on a fake helmet.
What I can tell you is that your helmet isn't a production-made original. It's vaguely possible it's a Disney copy made for promotional use but I'd be skeptical of that without solid provenance.
The truth of the matter is that the original prop shop for the movie production - Design Setters - did make extras that were not used in the movie. Those were essentially made for trade-fodder. They made the helmets the same way using slush-cast resin but as far as I'm aware right now, they usually didn't put the effort into finishing the helmets as they did for the production so those are always lacking the tells of an original production-used helmet making them virtually impossible to prove as legitimate.
That helmet isn't slush cast resin which means it's not a production-made helmet at all - not even one of possible trade-fodder helmets.
Those have been passed down, cast and recast over the years endlessly and are likely the sources of many of the replicas that derive several generations from an original helmet. They ALWAYS come with the story that "this was an unused original with solid provenance" (which is never supplied) or if it's a replica: "this was cast from an original that such-and-such got his hands on".
To make matters worse, Disney took the molds from Design Setters - I've personally confirmed this through multiple sources including the propmaster on the Rocketeer - and then Disney made more helmets (and rocketpacks) for promotional use. The helmets they made I believe were almost always fiberglass. Those have also been passed down and copied many times and often mistaken as original production helmets just because they came from a Disney source. Most folks don't know the difference unfortunately. Disney made helmets never even saw the movie set from what I've been told by guys that worked on the movie.
Take that for whatever it's worth. I've seen folks get taken this way too many times and it depresses me every time I see it.
I owned (but unfortunately had to sell) an original screen-used and screen-matched hero helmet which I had authenticated in person by the propmaster on the movie. (The helmet pictured in my avatar actually.) I actually flew the helmet to L.A. so I could meet him and get it personally authenticated. I've obsessed over these helmets for the past 10 years so I've picked up a considerable amount of info about them. It's up to you if you want to believe me or not and I don't mean to sound egomaniacal about being an "expert"...
The only helmet I currently own is the one-of-a-kind prototype helmet. I consider it the consolation prize for having to sell my hero helmet (which I did to help my family's finances even though it truly is/was my "holy grail").
I hope that helps...
Rob
