Stand Not Included       

 

Presented is a non-standard very rare, Ca 1896, recreation of a C.E. Heinke three light, twelve bolt, Pear Diver helmet, but it has only ten bolts. Heinke started business in England in 1820 and was a major factor in the diving industry until 1957 when it was acquired by Siebe Gorman. Contemporary Heinke helmets sell for $15000 and up. The older versions sell for considerably more. Consequently, not many people can own an authentic Heinke.

The whole thing is heavy brass, not the unusual copper bonnet and brass corselet. The top may be segmented or a casting, but there are no interior soldering lines which show. The bonnet does not come off, so the neck rings may be stuck. The side port interior shields replicate a design used in an early Heinke (ca 1840), which did not have any holes. This feature did not meet with much success and was shortly dropped from subsequent production.

 

The helmet weighs a heavy 46 lbs and is 13 1/4" W x 16 1/2" H. It was bought in Burma, now Myanmar, in 2006 by an Army colonel who was a combat veteran, and later a diplomat and foreign area officer serving in Rangoon. A brief version of his biography is below. 

 

THIS HELMET IS NOT INTENDED FOR DIVING

 

Air inlet check valve to left

Side ports showing shutters

Inside helmet - air vents

Heinke Pear Diver helmet in use, Ca 1896

 

PROVENANCE: The helmet was purchased by the colonel in 2006 in Rangoon, Burma from an antique dealer by the name of Augustine whose business caters to the city's diplomatic and military corps of various nations. Augustine has a reputation of honesty and fair dealing. When recently questioned he said that he bought this helmet at a government auction in 2005 and has no knowledge of its prior ownership. He believes the piece originally came from India and that it is was manufactured prior to WWII.  Of course, Burma was under British administration up until WWII and governed as a part of the larger colony of India.  According to him, the British used Indian and Burmese craftsmen to replicate many things at a lower cost than importing from England such as Siebe-Gorman and Heinke dive helmets were among these. The Indians were noted for their skill in copper and brass while Burmese craftsmen were more skilled in bronze work. 

 

RECENT FORMER OWNER: Now a resident of Montana, Colonel Daniel N. Tarter, USA (Ret.) is a decorated combat veteran with 27-years as a light infantry officer and foreign area specialist.  His combat tours included service with the 7th, the 9th, and the storied 506th Infantry Regiments.  As a foreign area officer, Colonel Tarter served eleven years in Central and Southeast Asia as a research scholar and military diplomat.  From 2005-2008, he was the US Defense Attaché in Rangoon, Burma. After military service, Colonel Tarter foundered Big Sky Sun Projects International, a public charity providing humanitarian aid in Burma and Cambodia, and serves as its executive director which continues to take him to the Far East. See http://www.bsspi.org/about.html

 

DIMENSIONS: 13 1/4" W x 16 1/2" H     Weight 46 lbs

 

MARKINGS: The brales read, Front, England. The breast plate reads TAUCHERHELM over ENGLAND. Taucherhelm is German for "diving helmet". The maker knew that Heinke was an English company so it is puzzling that he would use German on it.

Left side

Right side

Breast plate bottom showing brail studs and vents

                                      SEE BACK VIEW AT BOTTOM OF PAGE

CONDITION: The helmet is in excellent condition except that the bonnet does not come off, and that the air inlet check valve is non functional.

 

SHIPPING & PACKING: Due to the nature of this item, special protective packaging is used for shipment.  We price shipping honestly, but we expect to be reimbursed for the nominal cost of packaging materials and handling. In the continental U.S. shipping a helmet of this weight will generally cost $150.00.

OUR UNCONDITIONAL NO NONSENSE GUARANTEE: If not completely satisfied with your purchase it may be returned, if without damage, within three days of receipt in its original packaging. Return items must be insured for their full value. Only a prior email authorization by us for the return is required. Shipping charges are  included in this offer if the error is due to our fault.

International buyers welcome, but must inquire first. We have satisfied customers in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Estonia, England, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Malaysia, Martinique, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Nova Scotia, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, USVI and the Eastern Caribbean.  

ACCEPTED FORMS OF PAYMENT are Bank wire transfer, cashier's check, money order, or personal check in which case the item will be held until cleared. No checks from overseas buyers, no credit cards or PayPal accepted on this item.

Copyright 2009 by Land And Sea Collection™, All Rights Reserved

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