Replica Roman Helmet vs Originals?

[Crispvs]

I would concur with Matthew. I could also point out that skilled metalworkers are quite capable of producing smooth finishes by hand. My own helmet was made by hand and using hammers rather than modern machinery (I have visited the workshop where it was made and seen how they do things) but you would be hard pressed to see any marks on it. I accept that the people at White Rose might wish to produce a finer finish than the Romans might have been concerned with but it does show what can be done with a hammer. I suspect though that most Roman stuff was as smooth as we like to think as (a) the surviving copper-alloy or sliver sheathing tends to support this view and (b) the smoother the finish on an iron item the easier it is to keep it free of rust.

I agree though that many of our modern reconstructions are rather to symmetrical. One thing I like about the way my own was made is that it is quite asymmetrical in places, with the neck guard being slightly skewed to one side and the crest fittings being attached slightly off centre.

One area where our modern helmets do differ strongly from originals is that they tend to be the same thickness throughout, whereas the originals were often made to be thicker on the front and top and comparatively thin at the back, in order to make the most effective use of the metal.

Crispvs