The Eckhardt VI was a mask manufactured by Eckhardt, heavily inspired by the Vz.33 military mask, differing only in the valve assembly. The mask was intended for the civilian market.
The mask may have been exported to Ecuador for military use or may have inspired local products, but the evidence as of now is inconclusive.
Overview[]
The mask is made out of rubber, covered with reddish-brown stockinette. It has a 6 point head harness made out of tan fabric, with springs inside (very much like the GM30 and other German masks), with the two bottommost strap points being detachable (there is a hook on the facepiece and a D ring on the harness). On the back, the straps are connected to a leather headpad. The eyepieces are made out of triplex glass, with metal rims. The mask had a leather peripheral seal. The intake valve is in the upper part of the valve assembly, which is attached to the facepiece via a metal clamp, however, it has a tube that goes all the way to the bottom where the filter thread is. The exhale valve is hidden behind the grille on the sides of the tube. The masks were marked on the chin area, just like almost all Czech masks, with the Eckhardt logo in the middle, the model name on the left, and the size on the right. The mask came in 3 sizes, with 3 being the largest.
Kit[]
The mask was most likely sold with the EF-2 filter, being stored in a metal canister. The type of the canister is not well known, as there's barely any information on this mask, and surviving examples are few and far between.