Welcome to the new AD Royster Militaria Website
Welcome to the new AD Royster Militaria website. We think you will find it easier to navigate. If you will click on the posting’s header, it will take you to the rest of the postings. The archives will remain at the top along with a short bio of Mr. Royster. That is where you will find a wealth of information about specific collectible pieces.
English (United States) 
German
14 thoughts on “Welcome to the new AD Royster Militaria Website”
fook me jebus
Given your literary abilities, it is obvious you must be a very senior official on a military collector forum.
What is your area of expertise?
Marzipan belt buckles?
SS General’s trouser buttons?
Boot hobnails of the Waffen-SS?
With your literary abilities, perhaps you might consider seeking employment with the Enquirer or the Weekly Reader.
In any case, a pleasure to encounter another literary person.
And give my warm regards to your mother, won’t you?
Arthur
Since the reorganization of this site, I cannot locate your valuable information about German camouflage painted helmets. I am sure that following the recent “Champagne Runes” scandal that camo helmets will be the next collector fiasco.
Please repost the info if possible.
Thanks,
Mike
I will be happy to try to make sense out of this and get you the information. What were you specifically looking for? My thesis, easily proven, is that the so-called ‘tarnpasten’ or camouflage pastes, were issued after January, 1943, to field units. The paste is water-based. You will find specific reference to this in Bender’s book on Panzers. He cites the official documents and quotes from them. The dark green, the red brown and the white were applied, usually with brushes, and came off in rain or when scrubbed. Modern camouflage helmets are standard Wehrmacht helmets that have been sprayed with a hobby air brush. The paints are correct in color, being designed for 1:35 tank models, but are enamel and do not come off with water. Also, the sprayguns used by the Germans produced wide bands of color, not the very delicate ones seen on the enhanced helmets one sees on the Internet sites or profusely displayed in “authoritative” books on the subject.
So-called “Anzio,” “Normandy,” and “Stalingrad” patterns are entirely fictitious in nature and of post-war manufacture.
I hope this has been of use to you.
ADR
That is exactly what I needed. I quite agree that most camos seen today are spurious and created with model paint. I suspect one might find some few helmets done in the period with captured or foud paints but not many. As a young collector. camos were almost never seen (c. 1964)
Glad I gave good advise.
I have one M-42 with the genuine camo paste.
The paste is dry and comes off if touched.
Solution?
Testor’s spray ‘DullCote’ lacquer.
It will fix the colors, not alter them in any way and prevent the dry paint from rubbing off.
I could tell you GFM von Manstein actually handed this to me but I would be lying.
I bought it thirty years ago at a show because the dealer said it was a gross fake and was going to scrub off the dried paste.
I have seen DAK helmets with enamel yellow-brown paint and while these are authentic to the period, and theater of operations, the colors came from Luftwaffe stores and was hand applied.
And the decal with the palm tree and swastika did not exist but I have seen a good DAK piece with such an insignia painted on.
And why would someone fighting, say, in Russia spray paint a steel helmet in the dark yellow?
It might have happened but the color would stand out in the woods and steppes.
I know that the fallschirm people, HG Division, on Sicily painted their paratrooper helmets a dark yellow and then sprinkled local sand or earth over them.
I have seen pictures of these and a friend has one with the former owner’s name and number inside.
He checked this out with the MA in Freiburg and the man was in the HG unit and was in Sicily.
And his piece has genuine field wear on it.
Regards
ADR
I meant “found” paint. Sorry
If I had a dollar for every error I made, I would be driving a Ferrari. Are you a helmet collector? I am thinking of adding a section on that subject and am interested in talking to legitimate collectors.
ADR
I have been a collector of helmets and firearms off and on since about 1960. I no longer actively collect, but really dislike seeing new collectors being fed misinformation and have no use for those who take advantage of the newcomers. I fear the hobby has become too corrupt in recent years.
I agree with you completely.
There are many serious, and decent, collectors, and when I look at the ads on the auction houses or the Internet, I can clearly see that the beginning, and the trusting, collector is being gang raped by a legion of con men, tricksters and liars.
A great flood of books have appeared, designed to authenticate fakes and enhance the author and make him money selling what he touts.
Eventually, the legitimate collectors will rise up in their wrath and smite the swindlers hip and thigh and at that point, the collecting world will have rid iteself of malicious influences and go on a far more peaceful, and honest, way.
ADr
Such an uprising is a consummation devoutly to be wished. Unfortunately it seems slow in coming and is actively being blocked by some on the various for a which seem to be protective organizations for scoundrels.
If you have followed the unraveling Champagne Runes / SS helmet scandal at all you will see attempts to deny the undeniable and to justify failure to honor so-called lifetime COA…All very disgusting. I would be quite interested in seeing an article by you on this topic.
Cheers,
Mike
I would never join one of the current “collector forums” because they have little to do with genuine collecting but much to do with ego and self-glory. And they are run by those who make money with the forums. They do not tolerate any negativity and by this is meant, any contesting authority. Fakes are loudly proclaimed as genuine, objectors are either savagely mocked or thrown off the forums as being “uncooperative and destructive.” No revolution erupts suddenly but the more the masses are suppressed, the more violent the revolt.
Great new format. Easy to navigate.
The older one gets, the more conservative one becomes. Moving and changing the site has been mildly traumatic but it is much easier for readers to navigate and much easier for posting. Thank you for your observations.
ADR