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Koken Barber Chairs History & Restorations

November 03, 2019

Koken Barber chairs get fixed up by Fade Room. Toronto, Canada

Koken barber chairs are very popular among antiques and antique collectors. The quality and design of these barber chairs are ridiculously outstanding. They were known to be considered the first barber chairs to include a hydraulic lift that would easily raise or lower the chair. To a barber especially at the era they released the hydraulic lift it was like the chair was sent from heaven. Barbers were able to be more productive and clients were served more comfortably as well.

Koken manufacturing co. Started in the late 1800's, by Ernest Koken.

Ernest Koken was a German immigrant who was selling custom designed china made shaving mugs at the time, and then he began expanding his business into selling barber chairs, as an inventor who sold mug's because hot water wasn't something easy to keep hot at the time. Especially when hot water was needed during shaving. Ernest saw the need for a chair that can go up and down without a great deal of work to make barbers lives easier. Soon enough the hydraulically powered chair was developed.


Ernest Koken's barber chairs were known to be the best selling barber chairs and best looking chairs ever. Today his chairs hold and appreciate with the most value. Koken Manufacturing Co. expanded like crazy throughout the North American market. Unfortunatley Koken's business ran solid until the mid 1950's when another manufacturing business released a  barber chair with a hydraulic pump for a fraction of the Koken barber chair, which led Koken to stop selling chairs and quickly started going out of business, Koken's biggest competitor was Takara Belmont Corp.


Koken Manufacturing Co. still operates under Takara Belmont Corp. as a parent company with acquisitions from the Koken brand, the company effectively paved the way for more barber chair design possibilities. Koken held and still holds the patent for the joystick lever which allowed control for all the functions of the barber chair to be operated in single mechanism's. 


Belmont barber chairs today are the leading chair manufacturer. If you have a barber chair from the era of the late 1800's- mid 1960's and you want to sell, fix or refurbish your barber chair email us below and hopefully we can get that done for you.


If your looking to buy a barber chair, or customize a barber chair we recommend you invest in a late 1800's Koken barber chair to a mid 1960's Belmont chair. We have barber chairs in stock that are ready to get fixed up to your taste.


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(Here are some picture's of full restorations of some beautiful 1920's Koken barber chair's)

These chair's are part of Fade Room


Barber chair gets fixed by Fade Room barbershop in Canada


Beautiful Antique Barber chair full restoration by Fade Room Canada


Antique Koken barber chair gets fixed by Fade Room barbershop


Koken barber chair gets refurbished by Fade Room Toronto, Canada


1920's custom refurbished Koken barber chairs - Fade Room Toronto, Ontario