Richard Helmstetter started making cues in the 1960's. The first group of cues he made were taken and sold out at one of the Johnson City Tournaments run by the Jansco Brothers. Within a couple of years of this Richard was hired to set up cue making operation in Chicago Illinois by the National Billiards Chalk company. At National Richard worked with many up and coming cues makers, such as Paul Huebler, Bob Meucci, Rico Cervanties and the list go's on. In late 1969 Richard became Partners with David Foreman and together they started the Adam Cue Company, by the way Adam was the name of Davids new born son. David already had a company in Japan making cues that he imported and sold in America. Richard soon left the USA and move to Japan to set up and completely re-tool the factory that to this day is known as Adam Custom Cues.
I personally do not know what Richards earliest cues looked like or if they were even signed, because during the 1960's signing cues was not something that was really done. During the late 1970's Richard sold his interest in Adam cue and pursued other interests, Golf being one. Richard also invented one of th emost famous Golf clubs ever made and it was called the Big Burth. Richard still did consulting for Adam Cues during the 1980's and also during this time a number of 1/1, 1/25, 1/50 cues were made that are hand signed and dated by Richard Helmstetter. I am unsure if he actually made these cues himself or if they were a limited product of cues that Richard designed, but they are really nice cues, and they come with two matching shafts. However, like all cues associated with Richard or Adam Custom Cues they have never become ultra collectible which is truly ashame because in my opinion they are great cues. In addition Richard Helmstetter also has been a major innovator in the history Cue making who deserves far much more credit than he has ever received.
