Why Is There Such A Stigma Concerning Adam / Helmstetter Point Blanks And Cues

TATE said:
From what I can tell, Palmer was the first to use the "V" splice, which they did in the mid 1960's. Joel told me Burton didn't use it until the early 1990's. If the Adam is original, then I believe they copied the Palmer technique (not derogatory, just used the same joint). The only Adam I've seen with it is the one you repaired that time. Since Palmer sold and did repairs on Adam cues in the 1970's, they may have replaced the handle on a few too using the V splice.

Joel uses the technique Burton taught him and John Davis invented his own "W" splice so that he would not mimic the technique used by Joel.

Chris

PS. Palmer gave up the "V" splice in favor of a tenon and screw joint because they weren't confident the "V" would hold up over time. However, they did hold up fine from what I can tell. With today's epoxies, I believe the joint is very strong.

Hello Chris what part of the cue are you reffering to when you say V-Splice, the points of the part attached to the handle?

Who Made these cues Chris, are they Palmers or Paradise cues or some of both.
v_SPLICE.jpg

Thanks Chris.
 
Here is a Spain blank that was ordered at the time of the sheet I referenced.
That is 1967

spain_4.jpg


Obviously before he was doing the maple handle....

JV
 
classiccues said:
Here is a Spain blank that was ordered at the time of the sheet I referenced.
That is 1967

spain_4.jpg


Obviously before he was doing the maple handle....

JV

Hello JV, were all his early blanks Full Splice like the one pictured or did he also make Short Spliced Blanks?

Also JV, can you help identify the maker or makers of the cues in the photo below.

v_SPLICE.jpg

Thanks for the photo's JV
 
manwon said:
Hello JV, were all his early blanks Full Splice like the one pictured or did he also make Short Spliced Blanks?

Also JV, can you help identify the maker or makers of the cues in the photo below.

View attachment 71221

Thanks for the photo's JV

According to the pricing sheet I posted of Burtons you could buy them short and long.

I like the Paradise as Burtons and the other three as Palmers, maybe not the far right? Tough pic.. would have liked to see them close up individually...

JV
 
Old Palmers

82_fore.jpg


The above was a first catalog cue.

141_fore_hi.jpg


This might have been a pre-catalog concept cue. But it was very old.. Also obviously full splice.

263_fore_hi.jpg


WICO point Palmer

JV
 
classiccues said:
Here is a Spain blank that was ordered at the time of the sheet I referenced.
That is 1967

spain_4.jpg


Obviously before he was doing the maple handle....

JV

Adams also made Full Spiced Cues and Short splices that were also intern spliced to the cues handle. I suppose Burton use a similar technique. I have a photo of a 1960's vintage Spain short splice but I just have not been able to find it.

Below are two cues by Adam from the 1970's, a Full and a Short Splice in the same photo.

Splice.jpg

Adam cues before.jpg
 
classiccues said:
Old Palmers

82_fore.jpg


The above was a first catalog cue.

141_fore_hi.jpg


This might have been a pre-catalog concept cue. But it was very old.. Also obviously full splice.

263_fore_hi.jpg


WICO point Palmer

JV

JV, what is th approximate time frame that Bob Meucci started making the WICO Blanks?

What Catalog would you estimate the Palmer in the above photo be from?
 
classiccues said:
According to the pricing sheet I posted of Burtons you could buy them short and long.

I like the Paradise as Burtons and the other three as Palmers, maybe not the far right? Tough pic.. would have liked to see them close up individually...

JV

Hello JV, who do you think made this cue.

bushka 5.jpg

Bushka 4.jpg

bushka 6.jpg

Bushka 7.jpg

Bushka 1.jpg
 
manwon said:
Adams also made Full Spiced Cues and Short splices that were also intern spliced to the cues handle. I suppose Burton use a similar technique. I have a photo of a 1960's vintage Spain short splice but I just have not been able to find it.

Below are two cues by Adam from the 1970's, a Full and a Short Splice in the same photo.

View attachment 71226

View attachment 71227

I see some confusion already... a short splice historically is a prong blank that ends abruptly at the a joint. What you are showing here is a long prong, like the one I showed, but that short splice you are referencing is what Burton worked on perfecting in the 90's, ironically similarly being used much earlier as you have shown. Below is also a Burton Spain from the 90's..

spain_002_hi.jpg


In Burtons blank memoirs he does reference the true short splice and his opinions on the inferiority of that blank and the use of the "A" joint.

JV
 
manwon said:
JV, what is th approximate time frame that Bob Meucci started making the WICO Blanks?

What Catalog would you estimate the Palmer in the above photo be from?

??? Don't know.. I didn't bring that point up... But probably mid to late 60's. 66/69 for that Palmer..

JV
 
manwon said:
Adams also made Full Spiced Cues and Short splices that were also intern spliced to the cues handle. I suppose Burton use a similar technique. I have a photo of a 1960's vintage Spain short splice but I just have not been able to find it.

Below are two cues by Adam from the 1970's, a Full and a Short Splice in the same photo.

View attachment 71226

View attachment 71227

Craig, where you get all this crap from?
I pay for shipping! Just send em to me. :happydance:
 
Craig,
The butt of the cue looks like a bushka, however the culy maple tells us it is not. Maybe a Tascarella?

Regards,
Hal

P.S> - It is a beautiful cue with razer sharp points along black, double red, natural veneers.
 
TATE said:
You are correct, those are both Adams. The cues that were produced in the mid to late 70's using Adam forearms, like these, are usually pretty good. After that, I believe the Adam forearms too went downhill.

I have some that are really nice, but I agree, the overall quality is not up to Spain's.

Chris

http://www.proficientbilliards.com/cues/Palmer/idcustommix/pages/DSC02162_jpg.htm

http://www.proficientbilliards.com/cues/Palmer/MOP_butt_cap/pages/DSC03777_jpg.htm
Tate,

I have come across those blanks on ocasion.But they are not Adam forearms. they are knock offs from china.They generaly have either fewer or thinner veneers. the one with the blue veneer is very common on 1970's china / tiawan cues. it looks close, but the blue is not an adam dye color.

I will post picks of the ones they are copies of.


for the most part, the old adam blanks are first rate! as good as any ever made. But unfortunatly they did turn loose of some with very un-even points.
I have one spain blank cue left, of the few i have had in my collection. It is certainly a nice one, But no better by any means than many of my adam blanks.

Jayman.

100_3286 (Large).JPG

100_3287 (Large).JPG

100_3290 (Medium).JPG

100_3291 (Large).JPG

100_3285 (Medium).JPG
 
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What you are showing here is a long prong, like the one I showed, but that short splice you are referencing is what Burton worked on perfecting in the 90's, ironically similarly being used much earlier as you have shown. Below I see some confusion already... a short splice historically is a prong blank that ends abruptly at the a joint also a Burton Spain from the 90's..

Here I could be wrong, but I think in a true Full Splice Cue the wood in the points will extent all the way to the cues Butt. Now the cue I refered to as short splice is just that from a cue makers point of veiw. However, it could also be called a non-standard Full splice because the handle is again spliced to the forearm. I do understand your point Jv, I just do not know what to really call this construction.

Here is a very interesting form of point construction, the cue below has 9 veneer's over a very very small point. Anyone want ot guess who made it?

It was on a cue from the Lou Butara series made in the 1980's I think.

forearm 1.jpg
 
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hangemhigh said:
Has anybody ever managed to get Mr. Davis to add his perspective on this subject? This is some of the best reading I have done since I read Mr. Spain's Making blanks. Please continue.

I asked him about it. He was only exposed in a limitted way to the overall cue market at the time. Burton had all the industry knowledge. He really didn't know who else was doing what. He had a very narrow job, to build full splice blanks for George Balabushka. He told me he just used straight maple for the forearm. He told me he had a hard time telling some of the Adam blanks from his own work.

Chris
 
manwon said:
Hello Chris what part of the cue are you reffering to when you say V-Splice, the points of the part attached to the handle?

Who Made these cues Chris, are they Palmers or Paradise cues or some of both.
View attachment 71218

Thanks Chris.

I'm referring to the V splice as the way the handle is attached (I suppose it could be called a butterfly too).

These cues are: left side, a Paradise Diamond King (not with a Spain blank, one of his last cues), 2nd cue is a Viking built on a Palmer forearm, third from the left is a Palmer 1st catalog Model 5 from about 1965, far right is a Palmer 1st catalog Model 9. You can see all three blanks are the same, with the Paradise being built from the same basic material, same measurements, and a very similar forearm.

Chris



The way the handle is attached
 
jayman said:
http://www.proficientbilliards.com/cues/Palmer/idcustommix/pages/DSC02162_jpg.htm

http://www.proficientbilliards.com/cues/Palmer/MOP_butt_cap/pages/DSC03777_jpg.htm
Tate,

I have come across those blanks on ocasion.But they are not Adam forearms. they are knock offs from china.They generaly have either fewer or thinner veneers. the one with the blue veneer is very common on 1970's china / tiawan cues. it looks close, but the blue is not an adam dye color.

I will post picks of the ones they are copies of.


for the most part, the old adam blanks are first rate! as good as any ever made. But unfortunatly they did turn loose of some with very un-even points.
I have one spain blank cue left, of the few i have had in my collection. It is certainly a nice one, But no better by any means than many of my adam blanks.

Jayman.

View attachment 71240

View attachment 71241

View attachment 71243

View attachment 71244

View attachment 71245

Jay,

They also used KPS in Taiwan, which generally had the description you gave. The top one could be KPS. I could tell if I could date the cue.
The bottom one (ebony on ebony) the Model 8 3rd catalog is Adam blank, which are better.


Chris
 
manwon said:
What you are showing here is a long prong, like the one I showed, but that short splice you are referencing is what Burton worked on perfecting in the 90's, ironically similarly being used much earlier as you have shown. Below I see some confusion already... a short splice historically is a prong blank that ends abruptly at the a joint also a Burton Spain from the 90's..

Here I could be wrong, but I think in a true Full Splice Cue the wood in the points will extent all the way to the cues Butt. Now the cue I refered to as short splice is just that from a cue makers point of veiw. However, it could also be called a non-standard Full splice because the handle is again spliced to the forearm. I do understand your point Jv, I just do not know what to really call this construction.

The first Spain I have shown from 1967 is his 29" long ebony blank. The second Spain I have shown was his revamped "full splice". Even though the prong wood doesn't continue the full length they are considered a full splice. A shorty splice is 13" long.

Joe
 
Hal2 said:
Craig,
The butt of the cue looks like a bushka, however the culy maple tells us it is not. Maybe a Tascarella?

Regards,
Hal

P.S> - It is a beautiful cue with razer sharp points along black, double red, natural veneers.

Hal, I am also suspect about that cue, however, the owner claims he purchased it from George Himself, around 1972. Just doesn't look right to me from a joint up.


Thanks Hal
 
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