Dallas Cowboys - 2 silver helmet colors?

[BrianK]

Can someone shed some light on the Cowboys use of different tones of silver? I guess I accept there are 2 different colors for pants. Uni Watch, for example, have described the 2 pant colors [http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/story?id=3078463]. But, what about helmet? Here are two examples from the same era. Is it just different lighting or aging, or are they in fact 2 different colors? I'm so confused.

[aeneas01]

no, it's not the lighting or aging - the helmets you posted are from the era when the cowboys transitioned their helmet color from a bluish silver hue to a more classic silver...

[yosef777]

Robert,
Just to clarify, do you mean the Cowboys went from the blue silver to a classic silver on their helmets?
In the photos, the Craig Morton, HA90/91 (Microfit) helmet appears to be the older helmet (due to the old HA padding system and stencil Riddell font on the bumper) but it has the more classic silver color, IMO.
While the Benny Barnes, TAK 29 (with bull ring mask) helmet has the modern Riddell font on the bumper and appears to be a more blue silver in color. Maybe I misunderstood but that seems to be the opposite of what they should be then. The older helmets should be more blue silver while the more recent helmets would have a more classic silver. LMK if I am mistaken.

[aeneas01]

Robert,
Just to clarify, do you mean the Cowboys went from the blue silver to a classic silver on their helmets?
exactly. as far as the pictured helmets are concerned, hard to tell what's going on with them in terms of which is the newer model (i.e. the wildcat on the barnes helmet could be a later add-on, not period to the helmet). also, the morton helmet appears to have the original factory paint intact while the barnes helmet has been reconditioned locally...

[yosef777]

Thanks Robert, that is a good point as wildcat sweatband could easily have been switched out, too bad they didn't identify the molded date code on its interior in the auction listing.
From the same auction house as the above Barnes helmet, here is another Benny Barnes TAK 29 (without Bull Ring) that is supposedly an earlier helmet, but it has the more classic silver color as well?

Early 1970s Benny Barnes Cowboys Suspension Helmet

This early ‘70s headgear, which Barnes wore, was made by Riddell and sports the company’s TAK29 hybrid system which coupled the 12-point suspension with a sling of fluid cell pads to protect the lower neck region. The pad wear is extensive, as is the usage on the leather jaw pads. A Riddell TAK29 sticker is glued to the crown while Barnes' name and "31" are markered onto the inner shell along with a BD-9 mask code designator. The outer striping and lone star logos remain intact against the backdrop of a battered outer shell. But the player identifying dymo (usually located between the center stripe rivet and pad fastener) has disengaged, leaving glue residue and outline remnants. A period BD-9 two-bar facemask as worn by Barnes is in place with period housing.

[yosef777]

Actually when comparing the three helmets, the 2nd Barnes helmet looks like it is leaning more towards silver blue color.
It also seems like Dallas was similar to but a not a varied as the Oakland Raiders in the vast shades of paint they used.