Koken Barber

[Penny Bozic]

Kokenbarber chairs are valued anywhere from $500-$6,000. At the lower end of the value spectrum, a complete Koken chair with major condition issues might sell for less than $500. The chair might have some major upholstery issues, rust or poorly replaced upholstery at this price range.

However, the barber chair truly came to prominence around the turn of the century, when a number of patented inventions by an enterprising young man named Ernest Koken led to the basic chair design that is still in use today. Koken barber chairs dominated the first half of the century, and they remain popular today both as collectible antiques and as modern, contemporary chairs." /> The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser.

Born in Germany and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Ernest Koken was a creative and industrious young man. Following his father's untimely death, young Ernest left school and set about earning a living for his family. He found success first as an artist and manufacturer, creating hand-decorated fine china shaving mugs, mirrors, razors, strops, clippers and other supplies and selling them to local barber shops. Soon, his thoughts turned to his greatest passion: engineering.

Ernest began creating prototype designs in his spare time, eventually devising a clever reclining chair that was more comfortable and convenient for barber and customer alike. His biggest breakthroughs, however, still lay ahead.

Armed with a patent for his innovative reclining chair and funded by increasing demand for his design, Koken was motivated to continue refining and improving the barber chair.A Vintage Koken Barber ChairIn 1900, he struck upon what would prove to be his greatest idea: a hydraulically-operated chair fitted with a joystick-style lever that allowed barbers to quickly and easily control all of the chair's movements. Koken also patented these innovations and combined them to create the Koken Hydraulic Barber Chair, which quickly became a runaway success with barber shops across the United States and beyond.

Though Ernest Koken was stricken with heart failure and passed away in 1909, Koken Barber's Supply Company went on to become the largest barber supply company in the United States under the guidance of his son, Walter. The company continued to refine and expand its product line, eventually earning patents for designs related to beauty parlor chairs, chiropodists' chairs and more. Walter Koken even uncovered plans for an internal combustion engine that his father had designed in an attempt to compete with Henry Ford and his engine, though the plans ultimately never came to fruition.

Koken Barber's Supply Company remained a premier name in the United States until the 1950s, when the emergence of a number of lower-priced competitors and a slowly declining barber industry forced the company into bankruptcy. The early 1960s and the popular trend toward longer hair and more creative hairstyles further impacted the once vibrant company. By 1970, the Koken Barber's Supply Company - along with many of its patents - had been purchased by Japan's Takara Belmont Company and incorporated into its own designs.

Well over a century after Ernest Koken's first breakthrough designs, Koken remains an influential and respected name in the barbering world. Takara Belmont continues to produce legacy chairs bearing the Koken name, and antique chairs have become highly sought after on the collectible market. Ernest Koken was inducted into the Barber Hall of Fame in 1975, and his initial designs and patents still form the basis of many barber chairs produced to this day.

Ok gang I have a project to put new leather on a koken barber chair from 1928. And the headrest. Odds are ill be doing the matching chair as well so I want to get leather so it matches. This is in dark brown color and measures 2.5 ounce. Can some one point me to what I need?

Ive done some sleuthing and seems like a lot of barber chair restorations advertising using Italian leather not sure what that means. I keep finding reference to upholstery leather . Wondering if this is an example of such or proper leather for this kind of work. -truffle-leather-hide-1.html

Decades ago, when I started in the Dental Equipment repair business, there were still a lot of old dental chairs covered in leather, in older offices. The leather was fairly firm. Chromexcel is fantastic stuff, and is stretchier than many other leathers. Maybe too stretchy, I'm not sure, I've only used it for belts. Over the length of a belt, it can stretch a bit, not sure about a barber chair long term. Not likely though, that an old Koken chair will get used all day, every day like in "the olden days"!

Thanks for the info! Actually this chair will get used 5 days a week. Its in a actual barber shop. He has 2 Koken chairs from 1928. So I want to make sure I source the best option from a wear stand point. I think the leather on it is the original. Which is amazing that it lasted that long. The inside is springs covered with burlap and they also used what appears to be straw and felt for cushion . Pretty neat imo. Amazing leather was used for the Hydraulic seals too!

Might look into some of this leather. Its soft & a 3oz calfskin leather from italy. I would think some leather like this would be ideal. This is the pebble finished stuff, but they make it in a smooth calfskin as well

Customize your barber chair by adding your logo or name on each chair. Dont have a logo? No problem, we can help with a text illustration for your brand. Simply click the link below and add Logo Embroidery to your cart (one per chair).

Not quite what you had envisioned? We are able to fully customize the barber chair, from the upholstery color and design, to powder coating the metal frame. Send us a message and we will work together on creating a unique chair designed for you.

Our video call service allows customers to view our chairs from the comfort of their own home. By scheduling a video call with us, you can get a personalized, up-close look at the chairs and ask any questions you may have.

Our chairs are the pinnacle of function and design. We hand picked the details, as we have been int he industry with over 30 years of experience. These chairs are crafted with the finest materials, and provide unparalleled comfort & design.

I found out about J&J through social media and I was interested in purchasing some chairs for my new barbershop. I contacted them and got a response quickly which definitely impressed me. The Shipping was very quick and my custom chairs were delivered in perfect condition. I would definitely recommend to anyone

They have a great selection of quality chairs for a fair price. Koken, Paidar, Belmont just to name a few. Very cool family owned business, I will definitely be back to reupholster some of my older chairs.

The professionalism here and how well informed they are on their chairs is what stood out to me here. Highly recommend for anything barber chair related. Beautiful antique chairs as well. I will only be coming here from now on!

An exceptional, fully-restored barber shop chair by Koken, finished in light blue and adorned with extensive brightwork. The very luxurious chair measures 50 inches tall, 40 inches deep, and 28 inches wide, and it also features buttoned blue leather seats in excellent condition. A very fine example that was given an appropriately detailed and careful restoration.

More than just a utilitarian piece of furniture, antique Koken barber chairs are actually works of art. Because of the gorgeous materials and craftsmanship in these chairs, collectors now seek them out and pay thousands of dollars for them.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Koken Barbers Supply Company crafted thousands of these chairs for barbers throughout the country. Located in St. Louis, Missouri, Koken was more than just the largest barber supply company in the United States; it was also the brand of barber chair. The company's founder, Earnest E. Koken, held patents for several important barber supply products.

You can identify a Koken barber chair because the company marked most chairs with the name. Examine the metal parts of the chair for the word "Koken." From there, you can learn more about it. Knowing the date it was made, the model, and the serial number can help you determine a chair's value.

One of the easiest ways to determine the age of a Koken chair is to look at the features it has. Reclining chairs without a hydraulic lift system may date to the 1880s and early 1890s. Koken became famous for the lift system, and many of the chairs made after 1892 have this feature.

You can also examine the styling for clues, since the company followed the trends of the time. Chairs made in the 1920s and 1930s have a distinct Art Deco look, and those made near the end of the company's history have a mid-century appeal.

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