Rawlings RTS - NFL Helmets

[princip]

Just picked up a 11-83 stamped Seahawks Rawlings RTS helmet. It has very modified padding, looks to have been game worn, although a lot of reason to believe it was simply a custom Frankenstein job inside.



The main reason why I bought this helmet, it resembled the low decal placement in the Seahawks helmet featured on this 1984-85 'NFL and You' rookie player's manual.



Crazy thing is the screw/rivets are in the exact location, on the helmet featured on the manual, to where the screw rivets are on the helmet I just picked up. So, leads me to believe there were a stack of decals pre punctured, then applied to the helmet. Or, I have the exact helmet featured on this cover.
Robert...? I know you know these vintage plastic Rawlings lids well.




Regardless, really dig this helmet. The proportions, decals, rusted screw/rivets, face mask, .......superb!

BTW, the noodle padding plastic was junk, completely detrioated and crumbling like dry brittle macaroni.

[princip]

Just received a brochure on these 'Rawlings Tubular System' helmets(thanks Jeff). Looks like the macaroni bit were made out of polyurethane, and the shells were made out of ABS CyCoLite. Don't think the people at Rawlings knew how much their polyurethane blend would actually breakdown, since they were selling it pretty hard for it's stability and flexibility, "...for many years".

I believe what Schutt is doing now, with their TPU, is what Rawlings were hoping for out of these polyurethane tubes.

[princip]

Franco Harris with his RTS in 1984.

[Vikingshelmetguy]

Awesome Rawlings helmet Princip! Those 80's Rawlings helmets really are unique. If you look back at 2009 GUU postings in the "March Pick-ups" thread, you'll see another GUU member, Jaccuzzi, had picked up a load of these Rawlings brand helmets, including a couple of Vikings helmets. Here is a screen capture of Jaccuzzi's Vikings Rawlings helmets:

[slats7]

[princip]

Resolution isn't great, however cool pic of the clear shell RTS used in the brochure.

[mrclean08]

Were the "noodle" tubes in the RTS originally clear? Or were they always of a yellow color?

[Jacuzzi]

Were the "noodle" tubes in the RTS originally clear? Or were they always of a yellow color?

I'm fairly certain that they were a creme color (like surgical tubing) when new.