With just a little bit of coal and a much better set up, you can replace your pathetic iron helmets with the much more durable steel. Steel is shinier, sturdier and just all round better for you than iron, so go ahead and hurl that iron helm off a cliff and embrace your new look in galvanised steel.
In Fellhollow the local warriors experimented with medium helms. They were lighter, easier to make and seemed like a really good idea. Oh, sure, they looked bizarre, a strange sort of cube wrapped around one's face, but there was no denying the... err... the...drip? is that what kids say these days? I lose track.
Anyway, steel, it's better than iron and no less, well, square.