Show off your clear shell helmets

[Vikingshelmetguy]

Re: Show off your clear shell helmets

Hate to be a dumbass and ask this but what is a clear shell helmet exactly?

Hi Mad87man, your question is a very good one (and not dumb at all). Clear shell helmets are football helmets that have the paint, stripes and logos applied to the helmet beneath a clear outer shell, so that the logos and stripes stay intact and do not have to be replaced. Only a few helmet manufacturers made them in the 70's and 80's (Maxpro and Kelly brands, I believe), and they are very rare and very desirable to many football helmet collectors. Here are two links that you can read that gives great background on clear shell helmets. The first link is from the incredible Helmet Hut website that features an amazing Cincinnati Bengals Maxpro clear shell helmet and a great history of clear shell helmets:

http://www.helmethut.com/Bengals/Simmons.html

This next link is a story on Uniwatch featuring my friend and Seahawks helmet collector, Mike Princip, and his amazing creation of a Seahawks Kelly clear shell (which is also featured on Mike's www.greenglare.com website):

http://www.uni-watch.com/2008/04/07/washington-monument/

[mad87man]

Re: Show off your clear shell helmets

Hate to be a dumbass and ask this but what is a clear shell helmet exactly?

[Vikingshelmetguy]

Re: Show off your clear shell helmets

Thanks. I mostly lurk All the photos except for the last one in Bob Hope's house are helmets in my collection. The SMU helmet used to belong to Bob Hope, but now it's mine!

Jacuzzi, that's pretty incredible to not only own a Maxpro clear shell SMU helmet, but also to have acquired it from the personal collection of Bob Hope. That's incredible! Just curious, how did you get a helmet from Bob Hope's collection? Was his sports memorabilia collection auctioned off to the public at some point?

[Gridiron Heroes]

Re: Show off your clear shell helmets

Those are some sweet clear shells. That's one of the very, very few SMU clear shells I've seen out there.

[Jacuzzi]

Re: Show off your clear shell helmets

Wow, this thread is starting to be very cool! Jacuzzi, nice to see you posting on GUU again! Thanks for sharing those awesome photos of Bob Hope's collection! You might want to post that last photo of Bob Hope's collection into the Show Me Your Memorabilia Room thread.

Thanks. I mostly lurk All the photos except for the last one in Bob Hope's house are helmets in my collection. The SMU helmet used to belong to Bob Hope, but now it's mine!

[Vikingshelmetguy]

Re: Show off your clear shell helmets

Wow, this thread is starting to be very cool! Jacuzzi, nice to see you posting on GUU again! Thanks for sharing those awesome photos of Bob Hope's collection! You might want to post that last photo of Bob Hope's collection into the Show Me Your Memorabilia Room thread.

[Jacuzzi]

Re: Show off your clear shell helmets

SMU Helmet in Bob Hopes house.

[Jacuzzi]

Re: Show off your clear shell helmets

FSU Seminoles. Greg Allen & Bobby Bowden signatures. (Red clips were broken & no facemask) Supposedly Greg Allen's helmet.

[Jacuzzi]

Re: Show off your clear shell helmets

Oklahoma Sooners.

[Jacuzzi]

Re: Show off your clear shell helmets

SMU Helmet from Bob Hope's collection. (Red clips were broken)

[Gridiron Heroes]

Re: Show off your clear shell helmets

Mark,
That is one sweet helmet. You don't see many of those around! Thanks for posting.

Shawn

[G1X]

Re: Show off your clear shell helmets

Below are photos of the only clear shell helmet I've ever had in my collection. The helmet was worn by Paul Robinson in 1974 when he played for the league-champion Birmingham Americans of the long-gone World Football League. Robinson, the AFL Rookie-of-the Year in 1968 when he was with the Cincinnati Bengals (also played with the Houston Oilers in the early 1970s), wore this helmet until it was cracked below the left ear hole during a game in the latter part of the year (see the last photo). At that point, he switched to a Riddell for the remainder of the season.

This is absolutely my favorite style of helmet, bar none. The only disappointment about this helmet is that Birmingham put the decals and stripes over the outside of its MacGregor helmets. Most of the players wore Riddell, so I am guessing they placed the decals/stripes on the outside of the MacGregors for convenience.

I wore a MacGregor my first year of playing semi-pro football in 1977, but quickly switched to a Bike as I never felt particularly well-protected wearing the MacGregor with the criss-cross (waffle) padding. I sold my MacGregor for a few bucks to a teammate two years later, and in the opening game of the year, he suffered a bad concussion when he was blindsided covering a punt. He never played again.

Mark Hayne
Gridiron Exchange
gixc@verizon.net

Always looking for World Football League and Atlanta Falcons jerseys, and Willie McGee and Darren Lewis game-used items.

[Gridiron Heroes]

Re: Show off your clear shell helmets

Tom,
Send me an email at gridironheroes22@yahoo.com I have a trade proposition you might be interested in.

Regards, Shawn

[Gridiron Heroes]

Re: Show off your clear shell helmets

Yes, I did pick up the Cougars helmet. That one is a beauty and I'm looking forward to it.

[BrianK]

Re: Show off your clear shell helmets

I second what Tom said. I watched several of these and bid on a couple. Glad they're in hands, and thanks for sharing photos. I bet you grabbed that Washington State one from me this week too. Hahahahahahaha.