If you are good-aligned, go to Baubbleshire and learn gnome from the scribe. Then hail Spindlecog and do his quest. Both NPCs are in the bank/inn building. The result is a helmet that is on par with the AQ.
If you're evil, buy a crafted one. I have not found an equivilent quest in Freeport, but the heavy version of Spindlecog's quest and a pristine forged carbonite vanguard barbute are almost identical IIRC.
Good lukc