Question about my leather, maybe you FDNY guys and crusties can help

[WFDjr1]

Hopefully you COJs and FDNY guys can help me with this. I bought me a New Yorker today for $175, without bourkes and shield. Where the sticker that has 'N5A: Do this, don't do this, yadda yadda' should be is another sticker that says 'Property of FDNY, S/N: 003901'. There is another one on the front of the inside of the helmet. Could anyone help me trace this to see what kind of history it has? It's in great shape and the guy that sold it to me recently repainted it. Even if there's not much history to it, I'm still happy I got a leatha!!!

[PuffyNPFD]

The helmet that you got came from the quartermaster at FDNY. Now that they issue Ben II's they old tradition of fitting the FF for a custom leather is gone and these helmets were used for probies at the Rock until the custom came in. I have one too, not much history, although a guy on my job has one with the name of a guy who died on 9/11 in it. He put it on the shelf.

[MJB491]

Not for nothin, but I dont think they're supposed to be selling them. Is the Job selling them or is this some private guy stealing them from the Quartermaster and selling them???

[WFDjr1]

I bought it from a friend of mine who bought it from another friend of mine (used to be in FDNY) that bought a whole bunch of them up in NY, that's all I know.