Pickelhaube

The Pickelhaube (plural Pickelhauben; from the old German Pickel = "point" or "pickaxe", and Haube = "bonnet", a general word for headgear), also "Pickelhelm," was a spiked helmet worn in the 19th and 20th centuries by German military, firefighters, and police...

The basic Pickelhaube was made of hardened (boiled) leather, given a glossy-black finish, and reinforced with metal trim (usually plated with gold or silver for officers) that included a metal spike at the crown... Prior to the outbreak of World War I in 1914 detachable black or white plumes were worn with the pickehaube in full dress...

During the early months of World War I, it was soon discovered that the Pickelhaube did not measure up to the demanding conditions of trench warfare. The leather helmets offered virtually no protection against shell fragments and shrapnel and the conspicuous spike made its wearer a target. These shortcomings, combined with material shortages, led to the introduction of the simplified model 1915 helmet.. with a detachable spike... Pickelhauben were popular targets for British souvenir hunters in the trenches, which prompted German soldiers to leave booby trapped examples behind when retreating...

The Pickelhaube is still part of the parade/ceremonial uniform of the Life Guards (Swedish Army); the Portuguese National Republican Guard; the Military Academies of Chile, Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador, and the Military College of Bolivia; the Chilean Army Central Band and Army School Band; and the Colombian Presidential Guard Battalion and National Police. Traffic police in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan also use a form of the Pickelhaube.

Photo credit drakegoodman, via My Ear-Trumper Has Been Struck by Lightning.