Someone's Holy Grail: Early to Mid 1960s Minnesota Vikings Helmet

[miracleonice80]

Re: Someone's Holy Grail: Early to Mid 1960s Minnesota Vikings Helmet

Cool.....just emailed you.....thanks. Crossing my fingers.......Tony

[bgakladd]

Re: Someone's Holy Grail: Early to Mid 1960s Minnesota Vikings Helmet

Ok...sounds good.....hunt is on! Tony

Tony, Email me at bgakladd@aol.com I have a guy in Texas who thinks he might have one for you. I will give you his phone number. Hoping it is the style you need. let me know.

[UTeric3232]

Re: Someone's Holy Grail: Early to Mid 1960s Minnesota Vikings Helmet

I bet the seller's eyes got REAL big after the auction jumped from $600 to $5300 in the last 5 seconds....lol

[miracleonice80]

Re: Someone's Holy Grail: Early to Mid 1960s Minnesota Vikings Helmet

Ok...sounds good.....hunt is on! Tony

[bgakladd]

Re: Someone's Holy Grail: Early to Mid 1960s Minnesota Vikings Helmet

Hey....Helmet Hut doesnt have any of the mask I need in original condition......gotta get on the hunt for one.....Tony

I found some, but unfortunately they won't sell any. They have quite a few. User name REALSTUFF on Ebay. I will keep looking. Original 1966 ones are going to be a hunt. They are rare. Will see what I can do to help you out.

[miracleonice80]

Re: Someone's Holy Grail: Early to Mid 1960s Minnesota Vikings Helmet

Hey....Helmet Hut doesnt have any of the mask I need in original condition......gotta get on the hunt for one.....Tony

[miracleonice80]

Re: Someone's Holy Grail: Early to Mid 1960s Minnesota Vikings Helmet

Awesome! Great find.....saw that pic last night, too....great shot of the husky.....I watched films last night from Vikings games in 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969 and 1970......he switched a lot.....husky, no husky......clips only and butterfly clips.....Njop and Nop masks......really unreal how much he changed. Im with you.....1966 Njop clips(no butterfly). We gotta figure out what year Riddell switched to that other font.....I cant wait to see the mask on it! Gonna try to get an original mask with clips and original jaw pads......Thanks for your help so far! Good stuff......Tony

[bgakladd]

Re: Someone's Holy Grail: Early to Mid 1960s Minnesota Vikings Helmet

ok...but I did find Tinglehoff wearing a husky with Fran Tarkenton in a game against the los Angeles Rams in what looks like Fran's early Vikings years before he went to the Giants. He has a butterfly njop mask. Another helmet style and mask style. Had to show you since I've dug into this helmet. Final score was 38-35 so maybe that will tell what year he wore a husky. I'm still sticking with the 1966 mask and clips on yours, not butterfly.

[miracleonice80]

Re: Someone's Holy Grail: Early to Mid 1960s Minnesota Vikings Helmet

Nope.....dont think it is.....has 1 inch ridge down the middle of the helmet.....husky ones have 1.5 inch......that pic you sent before might be my helmet.....the holes seem right on.....a little off line.....check out the mask and how it is not straight with the spacing....What did you find? Tony

[bgakladd]

Re: Someone's Holy Grail: Early to Mid 1960s Minnesota Vikings Helmet

Tony....is your helmet a husky??? If so, I found something.....

[bgakladd]

Re: Someone's Holy Grail: Early to Mid 1960s Minnesota Vikings Helmet

Google search "1966 NJOP clip on face mask" That is what I think the correct year period mask should be. Helmet Hut has them. I don't know if the mask he wore was xlarge in size or not. It looks big. Hoping this helps to give you the mid 60's look.

[miracleonice80]

Re: Someone's Holy Grail: Early to Mid 1960s Minnesota Vikings Helmet

Wow.....do you see what I see on the last pic you sent with the dark jersey? The holes seem to be a little off-line on the front....much like mine. Interesting....RK helmet, holes identical, could have had the double stamping on the back from reconditioning and the helmet shows clip outlines on the front.....maybe a match? Oh, and it is a regular RK, not a husky....1 inch ridge on the top of the helmet......Tony

[bgakladd]

Re: Someone's Holy Grail: Early to Mid 1960s Minnesota Vikings Helmet

Lots of variables.....man, this will be tough. He changed styles of helmets and masks a lot. I really wanna put on a 1960's style mask on it when its all said and done. The holes on the front are slightly off-line....maybe it never had a butterfly clip style mask.....since the holes would need to be lined up pretty straight......just a thought. Tony

This the mask I would find along with the gray clips.......

[miracleonice80]

Re: Someone's Holy Grail: Early to Mid 1960s Minnesota Vikings Helmet

Lots of variables.....man, this will be tough. He changed styles of helmets and masks a lot. I really wanna put on a 1960's style mask on it when its all said and done. The holes on the front are slightly off-line....maybe it never had a butterfly clip style mask.....since the holes would need to be lined up pretty straight......just a thought. Tony

[commando]

Re: Someone's Holy Grail: Early to Mid 1960s Minnesota Vikings Helmet

I'm not an expert on vintage helmets, but it would seem like the suspension could easily be replaced if needed during the off-season yearly servicing. So the suspension was most likely used by Tingelhoff for a while, but not necessarily the entire life of the helmet.

On a side note, those RK2 models were workhorses.... But a crack on a facemask hole - like yours - was usually the kiss of death that took these gems out of service. And of course it was that very crack that allowed someone to take this lid home as a souvenir! (But the Vikes likely kept the facemask if it was still serviceable.)