FAQ’s (Frequently asked Questions)
- FAQ#7: Do you age your helmets? Answer: NO! Ok, so that sounds rude right? The reason is really quite simple. We spend too much time fixing them to turnaround and “undo” our process. Stated plainly; We just don’t like to beat the “%*@#” out of a helmet we just restored! Think of this…. You spent alot of money purchasing your uniform, gear and weapon right? Usually, those items are either NEW or in the best condition you can find. Why would you want to stick a dirty dingy helmet with a greasy liner on your head? Surely the M1 helmet was not issued in such a state? Why not start out with a NEW helmet and let it age along with your impression as YOU use it? This is our position. Besides, at shows guys will stop by to talk and show us their “J.Murray” helmet. We immediately notice and discuss how our helmets age with use. Weather, field conditions, repeated use and sweat age helmets quite nicely,… free of charge.
- FAQ#6: Does your product ship out looking like the pictures you provide? Answer: YES! Our helmets and parts are sent out looking like the pictures. Wouldn’t you like to get your Big Mac looking like the picture on the menu board?
- FAQ#5: Do you use real WWII M1 helmets? Answer: YES! We are known for this. We don’t use postwar or foreign made helmets. Whether you order an early or late war helmet we guarantee that it was originally produced during WWII. All of our helmets have been restored. Also……. just to confirm, we use original WWII and Korean era helmet liners…..we often get requests for specific manufacturers, we cannot accommodate these requests. We aren’t being mean and nasty, we can only use what is available to us at the time. Also, our liners are graded carefully, HOWEVER,….. they may still have some kind of flaw due to their being ORIGINAL and 50-60 years old. These flaws generally are small chips and cracks in the liner rim. We don’t use severely damaged liners!
- FAQ#4: When will I get my helmet? Answer: ASAP! We usually build a helmet within 10 days of ordering. We can take up to 14 days to build a helmet. This 2-week time frame is what you need to go by when planning your order. We recommend planning ahead. We may get a helmet “out the door” in 10-14 days but the delivery time is in the hands of the carrier and this we can’t control.
- FAQ #3: Do you have a store? Answer: Yes and No. Lots of customers ask us if we are building helmets in our basement or garage. The answer is NO! We currently don’t have a retail store but we do have a shop with additional storage. The 1200 sq. ft. shop is located on our property. Our shop is divided into two parts. On one side we restore and paint helmets and liners. This side is soundproofed due to the noise generated by our equipment. The other side is where we stage projects, shelf finished product, assemble helmets and do our shipping. This may seem simple, and it is. It allows us to “build, pack and ship” quickly, which is always a hit with our customers!
- FAQ #2: Where do you find this stuff? Answer: Everywhere! We travel constantly! We are out the door as soon as a deal is struck. Helmet/liner stocks show up in the darnedest places. In 2005 we were told about some helmets. Where were they? In a semi-trailer parked along side a county highway in Kentucky. Another favorite was the liners unearthed in the 5th floor of an abandoned slaughterhouse! Or…the helmets we found at a junk yard, these were headed to the crusher for scrap. I will say that finding WWII surplus is getting tough. We are fortunate and work within a very small network of “friendly types” that will call us to collaborate on leads, and split large finds, etc. This is much appreciated given the decreasing stocks. It also works well with the old adage “what comes around, goes around”. Typically, when helmet liners are found they are in conditions ranging from minty to garbage. We work out deals with guys who only want the “good stuff” we take the restorable items, etc, etc. If you have a lead, give us a holler, we will be happy to work out something with you!
- FAQ #1: Do you do this fulltime? Answer: Yes! My wife and I do this fulltime. She keeps the books in order and occasionally takes phone orders. I keep the helmet packages and parts moving out the door. We also have a part time employee who assists in the manufacturing process. It seems that potential customers want to know if you really exist or not, we do.
