Fonie diving helmets part 1

Morse


Have a look at this 4 light item. Is it a 3 bolt ? NO ! Is it a 12 bolt ? NO !, it's Super Grover !! It looks like a Draeger and it looks like an old Morse helmet. In the right picture you see a hole. Maybe our phony friends planned an exhaust there. Remember this is not a diving helmet and you should not have to pay a diving helmet price for it.

US NAVY MARK V

Probably the most replicated diving helmet in the world is the Mark V. The latest copies sometimes even have airducts and the interrupted screw thread! Be aware, before you know it you pay a real helmet price for a phony hat.


This interesting item circulated the worlds biggest marketplace for a while. It is a US Navy Mark V from 1909. Now, that's interesting because George D. Stillson finished the design for the Mark V around 1915. This item was first offered as a real helmet and later as a reproduction. One of the few we have ever seen with nipples on the front and the back of the corselet.

From the MARK V a lot of reproductions were made
(and still are). Sometimes it is hard to tell the repro
from the real thing !

The best replica of the MARK V is the so called "8-29-41" that was made in Taiwan in 1980.

Korean MARK V replica. The position of the phone booth
is not bad compared to many other phonies but have a look
at the spitcock.

English MARK V Replica.
It has an eight point exhaust handle but no holes
at the end of the banana tube !

One more for the road ! You will sometimes be offered this 8-29-41 reproduction with actual numbers beeing punched in the nametag. Do not fall for that trick.

Nametag

Morse used OVAL nametags. This one is a reproduction that has NO number stamped in it.

Two original name tags:Schrader used this shape

Another one trying to fool us!! You remembered to look at the nametag. Then you find a beautiful SCHRADER Mark V helmet on Ebay (at least: that is what you think) and start bidding like there is no tomorrow.

We find the position of the air-inlet and the phone-connector rather strange: they must be in each others way. The telephone booth on this hat is, compared to real Mark V's, put way to far to the back. The top light seems to be a bit too far to the left. The mechanism to adjust the air-outlet is missing. There seems to be no hole to the inside of the helmet. Conclusion ? Nice try with a custom made nametag. Schrader NEVER used screws. Nametages were always SOLDERED.

Did you know people even offer phony nametags for sale?
This looks like a bad recast from an original one.

Ever heard of the EMORY & DOUGLAS company producing Mark V diving helmets? As far as we are concerned they are in the phony business! Sold on Ebay for a real diving helmet price......

Dear Karin and Bert. I bought this helmet in an Indonesian antique shop. The salesman was honest about the fact it was obviously fake. It cost 2,000,000 rupiah which is less than USD200. I think this to is a fair price for an ornament considering material and the level of workmanship.
The helmet is copper/brass, including the shell which has been blackened. The valves function but the pipe fittings are blank. The spelling mistake (incoperated) on the label tag is particularly amusing!
I would be interested in your comments and feel free to use the pics I have sent
Also a friend "assures" me that fully functional MkV replicas are available in China. He has worked with Chinese divers and he says there are still used today and can be purchased for about USD500. Do you think this true?
Bob Griffiths

Who knows more about Chinese, fully operational MkV's? Please contact us

See more phony material

last edited on November 24th 2003


From the MARK V a lot of reproductions were made (and still are). Sometimes it is hard to tell the repro from the real thing !	The best replica of the MARK V is the so called "8-29-41" that was made in Taiwan in 1980.


Korean MARK V replica. The position of the phone booth is not bad compared to many other phonies but have a look at the spitcock.	English MARK V Replica. It has an eight point exhaust handle but no holes at the end of the banana tube !


One more for the road ! You will sometimes be offered this 8-29-41 reproduction with actual numbers beeing punched in the nametag. Do not fall for that trick.


We find the position of the air-inlet and the phone-connector rather strange: they must be in each others way. The telephone booth on this hat is, compared to real Mark V's, put way to far to the back. The top light seems to be a bit too far to the left. The mechanism to adjust the air-outlet is missing. There seems to be no hole to the inside of the helmet. Conclusion ? Nice try with a custom made nametag. Schrader NEVER used screws. Nametages were always SOLDERED.