This little device was attached at the rear of the shako in order to hook up the chin chain. On the Home Service helmet, the hook was an integral part of the cloverleaf top mount.

This is a chin strap for the Light Dragoon helmet with black bearskin crest and dark blue silk turban, worn by this celebrated unit in the Regency period. Sadly, there is only one, a rare survivor from those days. It is in old Sheffield plate, with its original velvet lining.

This white metal spike was worn in the Victorian period on exercises when the plume was not required and on foreign service. An odd little piece of headdress paraphernalia, but increasingly quite a hard one to find.

This was worn by gunner officers on the blue cloth helmet in full dress up till 1914, following the influence of the Prussian army, who, victorious in the 1870-71 war against France, set the trend in uniform for the next generation. The Prussian artillery wore a ball on their helmet from the mid-19th century through till 1918.