[Ron Wood]

Jim,

That is certainly an interesting take on the use of the ball top, and I hope you can find the reference material you seek.

I believe that there is very little that was practical about the early German "pickelhauben" and other headgear. They certainly were more decorative than practical and really marked the end of an era when uniforms conveyed both the "branch" as well as the status of the wearer. Spikes of officers often attained ridiculous heights to "one up" those who could not afford a custom helmet or were not of "noble blood". Garde eagles and Death Heads embellished elite unit headgear. I am of the opinion that the â??kugelspitzeâ? of the artillery helmet was more a distinguishing symbol than a practical application, but I would be very happy to be proven wrong.