Cairns Brothers Fire Helmets History

Cairns brother was the first manufacturer to incorporate full thermal impact caps within fire helmet shells.

Cairns brothers fire helmets history.

1970 s cairns brother inc fire helmets 900p 910p ad very rare old item. Cairns senator helmet made from aluminum aluminum helmets fell out of favor because of metal s tendancy to conduct electricity. Cairns brother has pioneered firefighter helmet. 660 cp project fires 1982.

The two companies operated cooperatively until gratacap s retirement sometime in the 1850s when the cairns brother legacy was born. This 20th century metal fire helmet features the hallmarks of gratacap s early 19th century leather helmet design including the protective combs elongated rear brim eagle frontpiece holder and leather frontpiece. Foam impact caps were initially designed for impact energy absorption but were found to effectively absorb thermal energy as well. Cairns helmets in my collection please scroll down and click on individual photos to enlarge.

Fire helmets with integral impact caps are significantly cooler for users to wear than are those without. Like military units before them fire brigades adopted helmets during the mid 18th century. 5a new yorker 1964 66. A 1947 48 b 1949 50 c 1951 52 d 1953 54 e 1955 56 f 1957 58 g 1959 60.

I placed a call to mfsa cairns yesterday. Cairns brothers leather firefighters helmet duration. If you look inside the crown of the helmet you will see a carins brother medallion they moved from new york to clifton new jersey in 1948. Expecting a call back tomorrow.

Shortly after the formation of fire wards or brigades in larger american cities it became clear that specialized clothing and headgear were needed to protect those who were on the front lines. Bill mccutcheon fifth generation former owner of cairns fire helmets gives a quick history lesson on how cairns got its start. Quite scarce and old this a vintage and original ad not a copy or reproduction. When you purchase an msa cairns fire helmet not only do you receive a durable product but also a 10 year lifetime warranty that the product will be free from defects in materials and or faulty workmanship.

5a new yorker pre. These are the date codes for cairns leather helmets. Page size about 8 x11. 500h 505m solid top drop brim 1941.

Today these are known as front pieces. The lettering system started in 1954 and changed every 2 years. The cairns brothers are credited with the idea of mounting an identification badge to the front of gratacap s helmets. Original magazine advertisement from the early 1970 s.

Eau claire wi iacoj director of cheese and whine. 1 10 year warranty applies only to msa cairns helmets manufactured on or after january 1 2015.