Football Helmet Date Codes

[bgakladd]

Hope this helps everybody, and possibly helps to detect a good football helmet and a bad football helmet.

[bgakladd]

This was part of a 2012 edition for football helmet purchases, recertification purposes, and inventory control. Riddell helmet date location is not complete on the above for older 1970's thru 2000 years. Those were usually found in the crown area inside a small circle or a longer digit number found near the earhole area, depending what year the helmet was made. If you have more input that can help everyone out, feel free to share. This should help some people out say if you purchased a football helmet thru an auction site or Ebay thinking it was game worn then later you get it and find out it was just a youth helmet, or a doctored high school helmet turned into an NFL or college level style, esp. on the Schutt numerical digits. Again there is more to add but for right now this is a starting point.

[bgakladd]

This helps to explain some of the numerical digits written inside surrounding the ear hole areas. Usually done in black markers, they are for school district ID purposes.

[bgakladd]

This helps to explain some of the numerical digits written inside surrounding the ear hole areas. Usually done in black markers, they are for school district ID purposes.

Here is a good video showing more about these black written in numbers around the earhole area when Riddell helmets are sent back for reconditioning. While identified as school district ID or account numbers done at Riddell, some helmet collectors have in the past thought they were locker numbers. I remember mentioning this on an old post by a fellow GUU member for a Texas A&M football helmet he had as to what they were when he was trying to identify who wore it.

[bgakladd]

A little more in depth information on the Schutt football helmet date codes concerning the adult version using the numbers 0 and 1 at the beginning of the code and the youth version using the numbers 5 and 6 at the beginning of the code. Also the letters and their meanings such as sizes and the materials used to make the helmet. (In Mark's letter he gave a minor correction in the illustration using the number 5, he corrected it to the number 4 when illustrating the 1994, 2004 and 2014 years). Thanks to Mark and Glenn from the Schutt Co. for this information.

[bgakladd]

Here is one for BIKE football helmets

[bgakladd]

More information and charts for Schutt football helmets.

[jetersbatboy]

Here is one for BIKE football helmets

Hey Barry, any chance you have the info on the material digit designation code? What numbers where used to designate what material. I know that 0 & 1 designates poly carb materials, and 5 & 6 designate an ABS material. what about other numbers? And also can it be confirmed that Poly carb was used only for adult helmets and ABS used for Youth?? Thanks! Any more info on this would be helpful!

Aloha Scott

[bgakladd]

Hey Barry, any chance you have the info on the material digit designation code? What numbers where used to designate what material. I know that 0 & 1 designates poly carb materials, and 5 & 6 designate an ABS material. what about other numbers? And also can it be confirmed that Poly carb was used only for adult helmets and ABS used for Youth?? Thanks! Any more info on this would be helpful!

Aloha Scott

I sent you information request to Mark, I will let you know his response Scott.

[bgakladd]

Hey Barry, any chance you have the info on the material digit designation code? What numbers where used to designate what material. I know that 0 & 1 designates poly carb materials, and 5 & 6 designate an ABS material. what about other numbers? And also can it be confirmed that Poly carb was used only for adult helmets and ABS used for Youth?? Thanks! Any more info on this would be helpful!

Aloha Scott

Scott, sorry but Mark does not have that information on the old Bike company that made the helmets back then and was sold to Athletic Helmets Incorporated (AHI). But I did dig into some old helmet "archives" I have saved. Here is a news paper clipping from the Tuscaloosa News back on Dec.21, 1983. It does mention the shell being made of a super hard poly carbon alloy and this was for the adult helmet on the Air Power helmet in 1976. I highlighted some key points made in that article. I have a lady's name who worked at Southern Athletic in 1974, which later became the Bike Athletic Company. It's along shot but I will see if I can get in contact with her and see if she can help out in this area. Scott, can you contact me at bgakladd@aol.com, I want to ask you some questions about your helmet.

[jetersbatboy]

Barry, email sent

[wfl1974]

I still have my Bike helmet that I was issued my junior season in high school (1978)...I'm the only one who ever wore it (1978-79 seasons). I looked and did not find a date code under the jaw pads, but I'll look a little closer in other areas of the helmet to see if there are any other type markings. I remember Alabama first used the Bike helmets in the 1976 season, and several of players on my team stated to wear them in the 1977 season, before we were all issued the Bike helmets in '78. My coach is unfortunately deceased, but one of the assistants is still around...I'll ask him if he has any old brochures/literature/handouts, etc. Its a long shot but you never know.

[bgakladd]

I still have my Bike helmet that I was issued my junior season in high school (1978)...I'm the only one who ever wore it (1978-79 seasons). I looked and did not find a date code under the jaw pads, but I'll look a little closer in other areas of the helmet to see if there are any other type markings. I remember Alabama first used the Bike helmets in the 1976 season, and several of players on my team stated to wear them in the 1977 season, before we were all issued the Bike helmets in '78. My coach is unfortunately deceased, but one of the assistants is still around...I'll ask him if he has any old brochures/literature/handouts, etc. Its a long shot but you never know.

I am not confident with the newspaper article on the 1977 date either. Look for your code on the back near the Velcro area. Notice Scott's photos of his 1976 Bike shell molding code and a 1978 Bike code that looks similar to what Schutt used.

[bgakladd]

Hey Barry, any chance you have the info on the material digit designation code? What numbers where used to designate what material. I know that 0 & 1 designates poly carb materials, and 5 & 6 designate an ABS material. what about other numbers? And also can it be confirmed that Poly carb was used only for adult helmets and ABS used for Youth?? Thanks! Any more info on this would be helpful!

Aloha Scott

Scott, found something for you concerning your question if it can be confirmed that Bike and Schutt used the same numerical digits for the material designation codes for the adult ( 0-1 ) and youth ( 5-6 ) football helmets. Glenn Beckmann of the Schutt Co. gave me the first list explaining the numbers for the material/suppliers digits. So I emailed him asking him the question if Schutt simply picked up where Bike left off on these codes. I am including an article clipping where Glenn states Schutt bought the intellectual property and the physical helmet aspects of Bike Sporting Goods. Adding that the Bike spread sheets shows a same shell helmet code as Schutt makes me wonder if Schutt did continued the same coding procedure that Bike started. I will let you know his answer to see if there is a confirmation on these digits when replies back.

[G1X]

I bought a new Bike helmet in 1978 when I was playing semi-pro ball as I had little confidence in the clear shell MacGregor that I wore the previous season. It was a bit heavier on the head than the MacGregor or any Riddell helmet in that era, and that's what I liked about it as I felt that it provided a bit more protection. I wore the helmet until my "retirement" in 1983, and I held on to it over the years.

I pulled the pads and velcro strips in the back inside of the helmet and could not find any codes. There is some lettering and numbers on the outside left rear of the helmet. Unfortunately, it is difficult to read as our team changed helmet colors a few years after I bought the helmet, and the painter buffed the helmets before applying the orange paint to the original white surface.

It looks like AIR with T.M. (trade mark) is on one line. The AIR is in very large letters when compared to the T.M. and all other letters and numbers on the back of the helmet. Underneath is what appears to be the number 8, but I cannot tell if any other numbers are present. Underneath that is what might be the patent number as I can see U.S. and after a long gap I can see the numbers 763 (the "8" that I previously described is above, and slightly to the left of the 763). Underneath the patent is waht appears to be "Made in the USA".

I don't know if this helps or confuses matters. I haev attached a photo of the back area of the helmet,

[G1X]

. . . geez, nothing like hitting the "Submit Reply" button instead of the "Preview Post" button. I had nothing more to add other than to say that not much can be seen from the photo I attached, but at least it shows the area of the stamped numbers and lettering.

Mark Hayne
Gridiron Exchange
gixc@verizon.net

Always looking to buy World Football League uniforms.

[wfl1974]

Can anyone shed some light on what these codes mean? They are all Riddells, the first is a VSR4, the 2 others are older Riddells.
Any input/help is appreciated.
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p304/wfl1974/photo%203_zpswzxuf9ul.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/wfl1974/media/photo%203_zpswzxuf9ul.jpg.html)
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p304/wfl1974/photo%204_zpsnv7rnllx.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/wfl1974/media/photo%204_zpsnv7rnllx.jpg.html)
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p304/wfl1974/photo%205_zps7tvyjmql.jpg (http://s131.photobucket.com/user/wfl1974/media/photo%205_zps7tvyjmql.jpg.html)