REAL Helmstetter cues?
- Thread starter Myk
- Start date
dave sutton
Banned
R HELMSETTER MADE CUES IN THE 80'S THERE WASNT A SUCH THING AS CNC BACK THEN LIKE NOW. EVERYTHING WAS A LITTLE MORE ''custom''then RH ADAM BALABUSHKA AND MANY OTHERS ARE ALL IMPORT MADE overseas by a company owned by RH. basically he owns the rights the the names adam balabushka ect...
My understanding is that Miki(name of Japanese company) that originally made Adams bought the rights to Balabushka, Helmstetter, etc. Miki also makes Mezz cues today. I believe Mr Helmstetter actually took his designing genuis and applied it to the golf industry and is heavily involved in some brand name golf company which I believe is Callaway. Correct me if I am wrong.
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.
HEllo Azer's I have one of these cues you speak of,,.. i will post pics of cue .Maybe someone can tell me more about it ,,has all real wood and real ivory in it ,with some ingraving ,,it is date and sign 1 of 44 1989,,,
BR Ken Carfagno
BR Ken Carfagno
Ken, you would need to post some photo's of the cue.
John Barton
New member
According to Kaz Miki, the owner of Mezz Cues, his company made almost all the Adams cues until recently. He said that his father was approached by the Americans to produce the cues under their various brand names.
Remember that in the 70's Japan was regarded as China is today.
Yes they did John and a very good point, but there is a great deal more to it than that!!!:smile:
Actually, Dave Foreman was already having Miki LTD produce cues for importation into the USA when he met and partnered with Richard Helmstetter. However at that time the quality of the products was not up the standard they wanted to achieve, so Richard went to Japan to re-tool the factory and to build Kilns for drying the various woods they were going to use. Richard lived in Japan for a couple of years, where he designed and over saw the production of Adam /Helmstetter cues, along with all the other lines that they had produced to include the Robert Weir Cues. If you go to the website for Miki LTD, they do not even mention what contributions Richard Helmstetter made, in fact they take the credit for what Richard actually did, all that is there is a his Photo with the founder of Miki that kinda add's to the confusion that already exists.
http://www.miki-mezz.com/world/company/history.html
In 1971, an exclusive contract was made between David Foreman / Richard Helmstetter and Miki LTD that stated Miki Company could not sell their own brand of cues anywhere in the world including Japan. In fact, every cue Miki made had to be sold through the Adam Custom Cue Company. That is one of the main reasons why the Mezz brand was not heard of until recently.
But also to the point Richard Helmstetter made Miki LTD what it is today, and without the exposure given to their products by Adam Custom Cues and the Knowledge that Richard Helmstetter imparted to them, in my opinion Miki LTD would never have achieved the success they enjoy today.
JIMO
Last edited:
Yes he certainly did, although it was marketed under Galloway!!!
Back in Jersey in the 80's i hung out at a room where the owner was good freinds with Gus Szamboti and he asked Gus what were the two cues he should sell for high end and low end. Gus said that the Schon would be the best high end production cue and the Helmstetter for the low end.
Pretty good info from a guy that knew cues.
Pretty good info from a guy that knew cues.
Last edited:
Yes
Pre 1968 Helmstetter cues signed and dated or just hand signed are some seriously great players even compaired to modern cues. These old Helmstetter cues with the piloted stainless steel joints were monsters.
Nick
Pre 1968 Helmstetter cues signed and dated or just hand signed are some seriously great players even compaired to modern cues. These old Helmstetter cues with the piloted stainless steel joints were monsters.
Nick
callaway
here's one of the series cues.
also have some big bertha's
Just beautiful! But you still know which one was my favorite.
But you took the pic down!:crying: Please don't tell me you sold that one.Lisa
no, still have it, but it turned out to be a huebler!Just beautiful! But you still know which one was my favorite.
Lisa
Wow, great information, Craig.
Once I tried to get ahold of Richard Helmstetter by phone to ask him about this. I called his office - he was VP of Calloway but was either retired or retiring, and he didn't return my phone calls. I would have like to get his story.
He was friends with Burton Spain, and I'm sure Burton shared his techniques with Helmstetter - because the splices from those early Adam cues look just like the Spains.
I also noticed that they copied whatever the hell designs and techniques were out there - there was no shame even then!
Chris
no, still have it, but it turned out to be a huebler!
Wow! I bet that was a surprise! Glad you finally were able to positively identify it. Just a neat cue all the way around...no matter who made it...LoL!
BTW, the one you posted above is really quite special...just beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing...especially with your great pics! :thumbup:
Lisa
callaway
here's one of the series cues.
also have some big bertha's
That cue is beautiful. It wouldn't be for sale would it?
Pre 1968 Helmstetter cues signed and dated or just hand signed are some seriously great players even compaired to modern cues. These old Helmstetter cues with the piloted stainless steel joints were monsters.
Nick
Nick, the early Helmstetter cues were not signed or dated to my knowledge. The cue that Icon included in the photograph above your post was made between 1987 - 1989, and like I said previously I do not know if Richard even made the cues, in fact I don't think he did. But, either way I totally agree that they are great players and for the price they can be purchased for I think they are also a very good value.
There was a guy on eBay who was selling 3 or 4 different models $750 to $1000 price range, don't know if he is still selling them but they were all late 80's signed by Richard and dated.