Old Leather Football Helmets More Efficient Than Modern Ones, Study Says. By Fox News. Published November 4, 2011 10 ... might cause long term damage,” Bartsch said. ...

Each vintage leather helmet was subjected to 12 drop tests; the 48- and 60-inch drop tests were not undertaken because it was feared that accelerations from those heights might damage the head ...

Friday, Nov. 4, 2011, Cleveland: Old-fashioned "leatherhead" football helmets from the early 1900s are often as effective as – and sometimes better than – modern football helmets at protecting ...

Old-fashioned "leatherhead" football helmets from the early 1900s are often as effective as – and sometimes better than – modern football helmets at protecting against injuries during routine ...

At the same time, it’s worth noting that the vintage helmets tested were each about 80 years old, so their age might have meant weaker leather fibers than if pristine leatherheads had been tested.