The VERO Fireman nutcrackers were made with two hair colors. There was also a version with a blue coat, gray trousers and red epaulettes.
These two 15 1/4-inch firemen, were both missing paint in places. The white haired example was missing its mustache, one of its epaulettes and sections of the fur had deteriorated and fallen out. The gray haired example was missing half a mustache. Both of these nutcrackers were missing their axes. I made facsimiles of the original axes based on images from the web.
A special feature of these models is the real collar tab pin from the East German fire service (DDR Feuerwehr Kragenspiegel) displayed on the helmet. It features a fire helmet over a crossed pick and axe.
While the helmet resembles a WWII stahlhelm, the actual fire helmets were made from a composite to prevent heat transfer. They featured a skirt around the back to shed embers.
Update September 2021: Added images of a blue-coated version.
This Blue Fireman was missing its feet, its axe and it had some minor paint loss in places.
Its left eye had been reglued a bit off from the original position with a waterproof glue. This required some careful surgery in the eye socket area.
It also had several failed glue joints, as usual for a VERO nutcracker.
