Description
Bulgarian M36C Steel Helmet –Original Finish and Liner
This original Bulgarian M36C steel helmet represents one of the most distinctive and historically significant combat helmets produced by the Kingdom of Bulgaria during the Second World War. Manufactured at the state military arsenal in Kazanlak, the M36C was the final and most refined variant of the Bulgarian M36 series, incorporating both German influence and localized design priorities. This example retains its original factory-applied paint, has not undergone postwar refurbishment, and preserves its period production leather liner—attributes that are uncommon among surviving specimens.
Its liner system, represented here in largely intact condition, consisted of six leather tongues stitched to a leather band. It utilized a four-spring suspension system anchored to the shell by small domed rivets. One of the six leather tongues is missing, a condition consistent with field use, yet the assembly remains a valuable demonstration of original wartime construction methods. As characteristic of later-pattern M36 helmets, the liner tongues include ventilation perforations and omit the metal-reinforced drawstring eyelets found on earlier variants. The chinstrap loops are original, affixed with medium-sized domed rivets, and the surviving chinstrap shows the thinner, wartime leather typical of Bulgarian production. Size 65.
The exterior bears the remains of the diagonal national tricolor decal—white, green, and red—enclosed within a black border on the right side, echoing German decal placement practices while retaining a uniquely Bulgarian graphic identity. Substantial wear and patina indicate an authentic service life rather than postwar handling.
This M36C helmet stands as an authentic artifact of Bulgaria’s WWII military material culture, offering collectors, researchers, and institutions a well-preserved and historically coherent example of an increasingly scarce combat helmet variant.
