Cold War Crap
East German Schms Gas Mask Kit
Manufacturer: State Factories
Model: SCHMS шлем маской специальной (Schutzsmaske)
Country: Soviet Union, East Germany + Syria (recently)
Year: ? no discernible date stamp
Condition: New and unissued
Size: 1
Production Run: 1970's - 1990's
Issued to : East German NVA
Price: £13.00 Inc shipping
Availability: Reasonably easy to find
Vendor: Private eBay seller
Shipped from: UK
First impressions
The Schms gas mask has to be one of the creepiest looking masks the Russians ever made.
There is something reminiscent of a 1950's sci-fi movie about it.
I wanted one of these the moment I first saw them. I must admit though I didn't see them all that often.
Apparently these kits are quite rare on the surplus market which might explain the reason why the prices on eBay for these things are so wild. The truth of the matter is that they are not as rare as some would have you believe.
Not prepared to pay £25 - £30 for one I had waited patiently for a one-off private seller to put one up for auction which did eventually happen.
So here we have the Schms I managed to bag for under £15 and what a gas mask it is!
The mask arrived in a green waterproof haversack which was clean and unmarked. The haversack features a snap close button to fasten the flap down. I had not seen this type before on any of my other haversacks.
Who were these issued to?
Originally they were given to military personnel who used scopes and optics in their work. The eye pieces are designed in such a way as to fit snuggly around a sniper rifles scope for example.
This particular kit was the East German NVA issue which was identical to the Soviet kit except for a change in haversacks from cotton cloth to waterproof plastic.
Is this kit complete?
In a word no.
Originally this kit came with the Coffee can shaped filter but for some reason this mask has a standard GP-5 small filter in the bag.
So what's the problem? Anyone trying to wear this kit using
the haversack to store the filter will notice that the hose + GP-5 filter is not long enough to sit at the bottom of the bag as it should. Instead it dangles in mid air. Silly looking.
Fitting the proper coffee can filter will allow the can to rest generally in the bottom.
Standard GP-5 filter - Wrong one!
The other stuff
Deeper inside the haversack was this rather fancy 40mm GOST hose.
It just like any other Soviet hose except that this one is covered in an unidentified textile.
It does add a little something to the normal standard black version. I quite like them. Pity that these were not standard issue across the range.
Lovely looking Hose
The face piece itself is made from the same kind of latex and has a similar design to the GP-5 style of masks. An all over hood/cap which has a tendancy to rip your hair out when you try and put it on.
The Schms also has the same metal inhale/exhale parts as the GP-5 but that's where the similarities end.
The original GP-5 didn't come with a voice diaphragm for clear communication.
The Schms by contrast has a large round voice piece stuck on the front.
Unscrewing the voice box reveals a thin round piece of plastic which vibrates in much the same way as a Kazoo.
The strange bulges which sit on each side of the eye pieces are the tissot tubes which carry cool air to the eye pieces to help with anti-fogging., this just adds to the freaky look of the mask.
On each side of the mask are ear shaped protrusions which help with fitting and hearing through the rubber.
As with many Soviet masks the added voice diaphragm and thinner ear coverings indicate a mask for commanders and personnel in authority tasked with recieving and relaying orders.
The actual wearing of the mask is a happy experience unlike some masks which rip at your hair and scalp. Surprisingly this mask is a size 1 which should be a tight fit on me but this is not the case here. It's very easy to get this mask on and off.
Overall a very good mask.
Rating:✅✅✅✅ 4 out of 5
Full marks for being both unusual and creepy. This mask would make a great Halloween or cosplay prop. It's well made and the voice emitter is brilliant. It's one of my favourites.
It's get a mark deducted for being incomplete - it needs the correct coffee can filter and not a standard GP-5
Sellers are knocking these out for a premium price at the moment as if they were really rare - not really. Beware!