Vintage Koken Barber Chair Serial Number List //top\\

Here is the general consensus among the regarding serial number ranges:

Before we dive into the numbers, you need to understand the "missing link." In 1910, a massive fire destroyed the Koken factory in St. Louis. This fire consumed virtually all of the company’s early production records, engineering drawings, and serial number logs. vintage koken barber chair serial number list

Koken used a sequential numbering system. Lower numbers generally = older chairs. Here is the general consensus among the regarding

Before Koken, barber chairs were largely static or relied on crude ratcheting mechanisms for reclining. Ernest Koken, a creative genius and inventor, changed the game forever. His most significant contribution was the hydraulic lift base. By utilizing a hydraulic jack system similar to those found in car repair shops, Koken allowed barbers to effortlessly raise, lower, and recline clients with a few pumps of a foot pedal or a flick of a lever. Koken used a sequential numbering system

However, if you own a vintage Koken chair, or are looking to buy one, you have likely hit a wall: "How do I tell exactly how old my Koken chair is?"

Below is a guide to help you date your chair based on serial number patterns and model names.

Focus on the patent dates cast into the iron. If the chair back says "Pat. July 4, 1893," your chair is at least that age. If it says "Pat. March 12, 1912," it is post-fire. Patent dates are often more reliable than the serial number itself.