How To Date A Koken Barber Chair

[Joseph]

Morethan 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.

Craftsmen used only the finest materials to manufacture many models of Koken barber chairs. Many examples feature tufted leather seats, padded arm and foot rests, and frames constructed of quarter-sawn oak or walnut. The frames sometimes featured elaborate wood carvings. On these chairs, even the metalwork was ornate. The seat brackets, parts of the footrest, and the base all have beautiful scroll designs and high-quality craftsmanship. Some of the most valuable antique Koken chairs feature working hydraulic lifts for which the company was famous.

At the low end of the value spectrum, a complete Koken chair with major condition issues might sell for less than $500. A chair in this price range could have some rust, major upholstery issues, or poorly replaced upholstery, and would probably date from the 1940s or 1950s. It would likely not feature elaborate carvings or a working hydraulic lift.

A more sought after Koken chair could sell for as much as $5,000 to $6,000. This type of chair would be in perfect condition and would have a working hydraulic lift, beautiful wood carvings, and original leather upholstery in perfect condition. It would probably hail from the late 1800s through the Art Deco era.

It's important to note that an antique barber chair can weigh hundreds of pounds, so shipping these items across the country can be cost-prohibitive. If you can find a local option for buying or selling an antique barber chair, you will save on the cost of transportation.

Koken barber chairs are an important part of hair styling history, but they aren't the only vintage and antique barber chairs you'll see. It's fun to browse the many options for these beautiful and functional treasures and learn about their history.

Q. My son has a 1960 Paidar chair that he took apart to have the parts chromed. After four years he is trying to assemble it. Does not remember how all the parts go back together. Have tried to find a repair booklet but no luck. Would appreciate any help.

Q. Paidar chair but original numbers plate missing from seat. Not sure of year and need same before I head in to full restoration. All mechanicals work well but appearance is rough. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Q. Hello I have a Paidar chair. The hydraulic pump seal appears to be bad. When I try the pump, the chair will lift about an inch, I hear the pressure vent off and the chair drops back down. I was wondering if anyone knows how much trouble it is to repair the seal and where do you buy the parts? Also, how do you check the oil level in the chair and where is the oil added? What type of fluid do you use in these chairs?

Thanks for any help you can give me.

Brian (Michigan)

Q. Hi,

I am a pedal car collector. I have come across a pedal car that was used as a barber chair seat. I know the manufacturer of the pedal car but it also had metal tags on it E Paider. I did some research and found that he made barber chairs. So far so good!

The car is the easy part for me. I have an avid collector. However, the barber chair is a new and exciting area. I am missing the base with hand pump. (is that the correct terminology?).

Here is my specific question. Are all the bases interchangeable, or did each company have specific kinds?

Can I just buy a beat up barber chair from the 20's and be on my way? Any help is greatly appreciated. Rick

p.s. For a change of pace, here is my pedal car website for those interested: ibuypedalcars.com

Q. Hi! I'm restoring a Paidar chair and I have it all back together except I can get the footrest on. It's parts are just a steel cylinder like the shape of a large pill that it seems should slide into a hole on the chair where the foot rest goes to hold it in place and allow it to swivel. Problem is it won't fit. Does this make sense to anyone?? Help would be much appreciated. Driving me crazy! Thanks!

RFQ: Hi, I am looking for a Paidar right long arm (Part 507R) for a chair that I am restoring. The part needs to in good condition, i.e., plate able or already plated. If you do not have one can you recommend sources that might. Thanks.

Q. I just purchased two identical mid-1950's Emil J Paider Barber Chairs for my barber shop. I have a slightly later model barber chairs that are perfectly working and being using at my shop. We are expanding and want to add the chairs just purchased but they need work, I've done some research and there are four Barber Chair refurbishers near me in the central New Jersey area. Yet the cost of restoring theses chairs are cost prohibitive; one restorer is very expensive specializing in custom work, the others have slightly better pricing but one reupholster sends out the metal parts for refinishing (chroming), the other does the metal refinishing and sends out for reupholsters, finally the last guy has done some barber chairs but specializes is antique restoration.The average cost of restoration is around $1700 for chrome refinishing and repair, and $300 for reupholstering for a total of $2000 per chair, not including what I paid for the chair. I'm a small barber Shop with $12 haircuts for me to get a return on these chairs will take 10 years. Can anyone suggest a cheaper Barber Chair refinisher/upholster/repairer that may have better pricing, because after I restore the older chairs I want to send out my current chairs for restoration. Any takers or referrals?

Q. I just purchased two identical mid-1950's Emil J Paider Barber Chairs for my barber shop. I have a slightly later model barber chairs that are perfectly working and being using at my shop. We are expanding and want to add the chairs just purchased but they need work, I've done some research and there are four Barber Chair refurbishes near me in the central New Jersey area. Yet the cost of restoring theses chairs are cost prohibitive one restorer is very expensive specializing in custom work, the others have slightly better pricing but one reupholsters sends out the metal parts for refinishing (chroming), the other does the metal refinishing and sends out for reupholsters, finally the last guy has done some barber chairs but specializes is antique restoration.

The average cost of restoration is around $1700 for chrome refinishing and repair, and $300 for reupholstering for a total of $2000 per chair, not including what I paid for the chair. I'm a small barber Shop with $12 haircuts for me to get a return on these chairs will take 10 years. Can anyone suggest a cheaper Barber Chair refinisher/upholster/repairer that may have better pricing, because after I restore the older chairs I want to send out my current chairs for restoration. Any takers or referrals?

Hi Carlos. Thanks for the interesting insights -- and best of luck. Names of vendors, without any praise or slams are okay, but unfortunately, we've learned from 60,000 threads and 20 years on line that the one thing we can't do is suggest particular vendors (why?). Apologies! And I hope this site can be of some use to you even though we can't actually recommend vendors. Best of luck.Regards,

Q. My son owns a barber shop with two 1960 Paidar barber chairs. He is wondering how to take off the lift handle on one to get it repaired since the knob stripped out. Please help!

Thanks,

Kent

Q. Hello, I have an early 1940's Padair that seems to have stopped working. The handle will not pump/frozen in place, chair will not go up or down and the chair will not rotate. I love this chair as it belonged to the father of a close friend of mine that died several years back. I would like to get this back into working order. It was last operational about 2 years ago and just sitting ever since. Thanks for reading and thanks for your answers!

A. I recently disassembled my grandfather's antique Paidar Chair. It too was stuck in the up position and would not rotate either. I found the solution by trial and error, but the gist of it is, there is a "key" in the column of the piston. As the chair rises, the key is slowly pushed out to stop the chair and lock into place. When releasing/lowering, the column lowers and the key recedes.

Your/my problem is/was someone has/had raised the chair to an abnormal position causing the key to "stick" and the chair to become locked. I disassembled the entire mechanism including operating arm to the piston/ram and ultimately "tapped" the column downward until it began to free up. I say tapped, as I do not believe a good whack would be appropriate and I didn't want to damage anything within the cylinder. Once lowered, the key/wedge will fall back into place and the chair will spin/lower/raise.

Hope this helps.

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