Koken Barber Supply

[Margurite Vizarro]

Howeverthe 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.

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.

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.

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