F & F Koenigkramer barber chairs began in the 1920’s as a result of a business partnership that turned sour. These chairs are known for having the world’s first foot-operated hydraulic lift. They were later branded as Reliance barber chairs. Although they are not the main product of the company, they were still manufactured up until the 50’s and 60’s. During that era, a lot of barber chair companies went out of business due to the arrival of Japan-based Takara Belmont Company.

F & F stands for Fred and Frank. They are sons of William Koenigkramer, a German immigrant in the 1860’s. The brothers invented a clog-free paint sprayer which became a bestseller to farmers. Fred and Frank were also really good at engineering hydraulic lifts. They were so good that the pioneering barber chair company in the United States, Eugene Berninghaus Co., later approached them and forged a deal with them so that their hydraulic lifts can be integrated into the Berninghaus barber chairs. In the 1890’s, the two sons formed F & F Koenigkramer. It was a initially machine shop business based in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The 1920’s was a period of adjustment for the Koenigkramer brothers. First, the partnership between fellow German, Eugene Berninghaus, did not end up well. Business was booming for Eugene, and the brothers believed that the deal wasn’t fair. As a result, the deal was off and a new competing product was formed in the name of F. & F. Koenigkramer barber chairs.

At the end of the decade, a new opportunity came. The General Optical Company commissioned the brothers to build a set of medical equipment for its exclusive use. As with most companies in the country, production was temporarily stopped during World War II. After the war, F. & F. Koenigkramer decided to classify their medical products as belonging to the product line called, “Reliance.” As has been mentioned, the barber chairs were eventually adapted into it.

Due to intense competition, the company ultimately focused on medical equipment under the name, Reliance Medical Equipment. At this point, Koken Barber’s Supply Co. was purchased by Takara Belmont Co., and Emil J. Paidar Co. did not have the largest market share anymore in the barber’s supply business. In 1988, a company based in Bern, Switzerland acquired Reliance. Today, Haag-Streit AG has its manufacturing operations in Mason, Ohio. The same facility also houses the marketing department of Reliance and other sister companies.

It was in 1875 that the Eugene Berninghaus Company opened its doors to the general public in Cincinnati, Ohio. According to antique collectors, it was the first manufacturer of barber chairs in the United States. Like the Koken, Kochs and Paidar companies, the business was named after its founder, Eugene Berninghaus. Eugene was born in Germany in 1845 to Richard Berninghaus and Thusnelda Schnick. The family moved to New York in 1849. In 1856, they eventually settled in Ohio where they started selling perfumes as an enterprise. A couple of decades later, the now grown-up and married Eugene formed his own business. He passed away just days after his 79th birthday on July 17th, 1924. However, the business lived on until 1938.

Eugene Berninghaus designed the first barber chair that reclines and revolves at the same time. The company called this product, Paragon. Paragon was a response to its rival, the Archer Company, in which the design made it possible for the chair to raise and lower mechanically. These early models provided the blueprint for the barber chair designs that would follow a few years later. One such manufacturer was the Theo A. Kochs company, which combined the prior designs into its chairs and sold well.

The company became famous for its “Hercules” line of Berninghaus barber chairs. Hercules was made with the finest kinds of wood, including Oak, Mahogany and Walnut. It also has some cast iron portions. The upholstery was either leather or mohair plush. In 1960, one of its chairs was featured in the movie, Time Machine by H.G. Wells. It turned out to be an 1899 version of the Hercules that was modified for the set. In 1970, M.G.M., the firm that owns the movie auctioned off the chair along with many other props from different movies.

Berninghaus barber chairs are sought after by antique collectors today because of their age. Being the first in the industry and ceasing in the 1930’s, there are probably very few that survived the test of time. There are a few later models in good shape though. Fausto Ferrari’s shop has been operating in Cincinnati since 1957. Pay a visit and sit on one when you get a chance.

The Takara Belmont Corporation is the leading manufacturer of barber chairs, salon and dental equipment in the world. The company is based in Japan with branches in many parts of the world, including Brazil, the United States and Canada, France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and China. It also owns the Koken Manufacturing Co., Inc. based in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Koken was a popular barber supply brand in the US during the early 1900’s.

Takara has distributors in 80 countries, with 9 large showrooms in the US and Canada. It also has a lot of seating and styling station designs. In fact, the company has more of them than all other manufacturers combined. Over the years, it has become the design trend setter, paving the way for elegant and top quality salon and barber equipment. The salons it endorses are award winning. Furthermore, it houses the largest team of professional designers.

Takara Chuzo Ltd. was founded by Hidenobu Yoshikawa in Japan in 1921. It wasn’t until 1931 that Takara started producing barber chairs. In 1950, it developed it’s own version of the hydraulic adjustable barber chair. Six years later, the company was finally ready to enter the market in the United States. It established the Takara Company N.Y. Inc. in New York City as an overseas subsidiary company. This subsidiary would later become Takara Belmont USA, Inc. In 1959, Belmont Chairs London Ltd. was established – its second overseas branch.

The 1950’s and 60’s were really interesting times in the United States’ barber industry. Takara had a tremendous impact when it entered the market. It released its highly styled, low-priced product line named Belmont. Back then, the two leading manufacturers, Koken Barber’s Supply Company and Emil J. Paidar Company were not prepared to face the new challenger in town. In addition, a new trend was emerging. The Beatles hairstyle was in and clean cut was out. Haircuts were virtually replaced by hairstyles, and these made barbers lose younger customers. Salons began sprouting while the number of barber shops declined.

The company that was able to adapt well was no other than the Takara Belmont Company. Things had gone better for the company when it released the world’s first electric barber chair in 1962. It reduced stress on the hands and was a big hit among barber shop and salon owners. In the following years, the company expanded its operations to other countries and ventured into hair care products. In 1966, it partnered with Wella, a German company specializing in cosmetic supplies. Then in 1969, it acquired Koken. With the Koken and Belmont brands under one roof, Takara effectively became the largest manufacturer of barber chairs in the United States. Its long and rich history in making barber chairs made it a fierce competitor in the barber industry.

Kochs barber chairs are very popular to antique collectors. The Theo. A. Kochs Company was one of the first companies to be in the barber supply business. It was established in Chicago during the late 1800’s (estimated to be around 1871). According to its Spring, 1888 catalog, the company’s factory was situated far north of the Chicago River:

The North Side Cable Cars, in close proximity to all the principal railway depots, pass directly before our door. The route traversed by the cable cars is plainly designated on the above diagram by dotted lines. Passengers can get aboard these cars at Monroe, Madison, Washington, Randolph, Lake, La Salle and Clark streets. The Wells street Cable Cars will take passengers right to our factory; the Clark street cars carry passengers within two blocks of our establishment.

Intending purchasers will find it to their interest to call on us and examine our goods before buying elsewhere.

Following the barber chair design successes of St. Louis-based Archer Company and Cincinnati-based Eugene Berninghaus, Kochs integrated those enhancements into his design. Things turned out particularly well for the Chicago-based company. It sold tens of thousands in a relatively short span of time. As the company would put it:

This growth has been not only a remarkable but a healthy one; it demonstrates more forcibly than words can tell, the popularity and superiority of our goods. It is a cordial endorsement of the generous policy of the house and its straightforward business methods.
…
Our factory is the largest and most complete of its kind in the world, and we say this without making any reservation whatsoever. It is most systematically arranged for the highest grade of work at a minimum cost, and in its equipment of labor-saving machinery it cannot be surpassed.

Kochs barber chairs are made with high quality materials, that’s why they are reputable. Before the turn of the 20th century, most of the company’s barber chair designs were made of wood (mostly Walnut, Cherry or Mahogany) with elaborate ornamentation. The earlier models, which were plainly named No. 9, No. 5 or No. 25, had a separate footstool. These models didn’t have mechanisms for adjusting the height, so the company charged extra for an accessory to raise the seat.

One interesting model was Kochs Folding Barber Chair No. 40. It was made of Oak and upholstered in Velour plush. The upholstery was trimmed with fringes and the cloth-covered back was enameled. Due to its folding design, it occupied little space and only weighed less than 25 lbs. The chair was intended to be transportable; to be used by soldiers or barbers who travel the country during the Summer.

Aside from barber chairs, Kochs also sold barbers’ furniture such as stools, barber poles, mirror and dressing cases, mug cases, shelf cases, cabinet brackets, work-stands, wash-stands, hall racks, towel cases and looking glasses. Almost all of their models have remarkable engraving that’s typical of the Kochs brand.

Modern Kochs barber chair designs (1903 Catalog) can be viewed at the Smithsonian Libraries website.

Restoring old barber chairs is a huge undertaking, but it also has great payoffs. To the right collector, a restored antique barber chair can sell for many thousands of dollars. There is usually no owner’s manual for these kinds of things, so most of the work is DIY. To someone who’s new to the task, figuring out how and where the parts should go is both risky and time consuming. It’s risky because many pieces of the chair are sophisticated, and getting a single part wrong may drastically bring down its value. It’s time consuming since there is essentially no instructional materials to begin with.

If you’re the type of person who enjoys watching television shows like Pawn Stars, American Restoration, The Pickers, Salvage Hunters and other similar programs, you probably know how much investment in time and resources a restoration project can take. Take American Restoration as an example. Manpower hours is always a big concern. Each member of the team has his own specialty – from carpentry to metalworking to artwork and anything in between. When you look at the restored item, you’d see the passion and the craftsmanship that these guys put into the project. Doing it by yourself isn’t exactly impossible, but your old barber chairs might not see the light of day anytime soon.

Prior to committing yourself to the undertaking, there are things you can do to make sure that you’re on the correct path. In some instances, you may find that the restoration may simply be a matter of wiping the surfaces with a rag. Though in most cases, old barber chairs require taking each piece apart and repainting. Antique items that haven’t been maintained for a long time almost always have paint that deteriorated. Once the surface has been identified, sanding it can completely remove its paint. There are specific sanding methods, depending on the type of paint and the surface. Pay attention to this crucial step, as the wrong type of material can damage the surface as well. Consult an experienced restorer if needed.

The barber chair’s hydraulic system may have also deteriorated over time. Old barber chairs often use hydraulic cylinders like the machinery used in heavy equipment. In some instances, the fix can be as simple as putting fresh hydraulic fluid. In most cases, the chair has to be taken apart, cleaned and re-oiled.

As has been mentioned, this type of restoration requires commitment, and lots of it. It’s best to consult a professional and discuss with other enthusiasts in online forums to find out how to proceed accordingly.

There are several types of antique barber chairs for sale. Depending on your shop’s needs, you may want a barber chair that can go up or down smoothly and furnished with an adjustable footrest as well as a removable headrest. There are others who may want one with a reclining back rest and flamboyant upholstery to attract customers. Regardless of preference, barber chairs come in different types.

Traditional types are made from leather or vinyl and have a chrome base. Some units are hydraulically driven so that clients are comfortable when the chair is being raised or lowered. European types are typically made of vinyl with wooden arm rests. All-purpose types normally have smaller builds than their traditional counterparts. They are widely used in salons and tattoo shops. Finally, facial tables have a fully reclining seat back to give more comfort and luxury. They are mostly used in spas.

Genuine antique barber chairs that you can find for sale are not cheap. There was a Koken barber chair shown in the show, American Restoration which sold for more than six thousand bucks. Other chairs would sell higher, commanding closed to five digit figures.

Antique barber chairs are valuable because of their elaborate designs and the craftsmanship that their makers put into them. We rarely see such skill nowadays, and most would come from an assembly line. These old chairs were made with different materials, patterns and finishes that are distinct to the period they were made. The materials were carefully selected and were top quality. As a result, they are long-lasting which also explains why they still exist today. The value of these chairs will surely go up over time regardless of market conditions. If you plan to add one in your collection, it won’t just be a display piece. It will also be a worthy investment.

Adequate care and maintenance must be taken to preserve the condition of these chairs. Make sure that you’ve done your homework and gathered some tips on how to properly protect and store them prior to making a purchase. As a rule of thumb, they should be kept in relatively humid and cool areas. Direct sunlight can cause wear and tear, so it should be avoided. On the other hand, excessive cleaning can sometimes lead to the chair’s deterioration. So be careful when cleaning your antique chairs.

Antique barber chairs are an excellent way to accentuate your spaces, but there are a few considerations before you decide to buy that rare thing you’ve been wanting for so long. Now that you are aware of the various types of barber chairs for sale and how you can take care of them, you will know what to look for when buying one.

Barber chairs are essential in barber shops and salons. Without them, barbers and patrons alike will have an agonizing experience. As with any other item, barber chairs degrade over time, especially when used frequently in the day-to-day operations of a business. Normally, they can be repaired by the manufacturer. However, there are other manufacturers that cannot provide service anymore for discontinued models of their chairs. Some cheaper units don’t have labeled manufacturers at all. Replacement parts may only be found overseas and may cost more in the long run.

In cases wherein manufacturers refuse to accept barber chairs for repair, there are a handful of barber and beauty supply companies that might be able to assist you. Chances are these companies may have a list of manufacturers that can assist in locating a repair facility. There are also restoration shops that restore anything from old Coke machines to barber chairs.

Whenever you are planning to repair these antique chairs, understanding the order in which to operate is very important. Otherwise, it’s going to take a long time to fix the chair. The first thing to do is to put the chair on its back down position. This lets you work tightly on the back’s front. You then have to position the chair up and face it on the right hand portion. Do whatever it is that you have to do there. Next, operate on the front area of the chair and then on the left side. To finish off, position the chair facing all the way down. It will now be all too easy to slide the back over the edge to handle the underside. Without knowing these in order, you often find areas you had overlooked even if you have already been all over the chair.

Even though there are some projects that are easy to do on your own at home, restoring or repairing antique barber chairs may not be one of them, particularly if you have intentions to sell it in the future. This is also true for other antique items like shelves and desks. If you’re considering repairs or restoration, it would be wise to seek advice from a professional before attempting to do it yourself. Some repairs are easy to carry out as a weekend DIY project. In other instances though, your simple restoration project might turn out to be something that would be better left to an expert. This really is usually the case if you’re working on one that is rare and has a high value.

An antique barber chair is a delicate piece of furniture. It may not be a good idea to transport your barber chair just to have them checked or get appraised. Nowadays, a more practical way is to search online forums that talk about old and vintage stuff. Usually, there are a few like-minded individuals who are willing to help you out without a charge. Many people like to visit forums aimed at antique enthusiasts. This is often a good way of getting a general idea of the barber chair’s value. However, you may find plenty of contradicting details with this method.

When asking in forums, it is important that you provide a full description of your barber chair. Be as specific as you can. Describe the color of the wood or the metal. State the texture of the upholstery as well as the stability of the chair when raising it up or lowering it. Needless to say, posting photos of your chair will greatly increase the chances of your chair being identified immediately by someone else. Be sure to take photos of the front, back, sides, top, and even the bottom. Distinctive logos should also be photographed. If the condition is right, you might even get an outright offer from a serious buyer.

Even when you determine the value of your antique chair from these forums, the correctness may be a bit gloomy. Having said that, you could potentially “guesstimate” the value of similar pieces from the same time period. This is an excellent position to begin your assessment. There are several antiques that are works of art, and there are also a number of pieces that hold sentimental value to the owner. Most of them include an intriguing story. Some find these stories as a valuable selling point, especially when a prominent figure is involved.

You can also look around for a similar antique barber chair in antique stores and auction houses. The downside to this approach is that it takes a lot of time and effort. If you’re lucky enough to have the luxury and shopping is your kind of thing, then you’re going to have a lot of fun. An ideal value estimate for your antique barber chair will include its historical past, where it came from and its rarity. The number of similar pieces made during its time period will significantly affect its worth. If all else fails and you just aren’t confident of the item’s value, you can consult a professional antique appraiser.

Before the Kokens and Belmonts, Paidar barber chairs ruled the barber chair market in the United States. The Emil J. Paidar Company was based in Chicago and has been the leading manufacturer of barber chairs until the late fifties. The company has been making these chairs since the early 1900’s. As the market leader, Paidar’s designs were generally the baseline and were often imitated by competing manufacturers.

Things began to change in the late 50’s, when Belmont joined Japan-based Takara Chair Sales Co., Ltd. Takara Chair Sales was originally a division of Takara Chuzo Ltd. but eventually became independent in 1951. The original company, Takara Chuzo Ltd. was founded by Hidenobu Yoshikawa in 1921. By the 1930’s, Takara barber chairs have become an established brand in Japan. Twenty years later, the company established an overseas subsidiary in the United States aptly named as Takara Company N.Y. Inc. By 1959, they have expanded in Europe by establishing is affiliate, Belmont Chairs London Ltd. Belmont would eventually become the international brand name of Takara. Fast forward to 1969 and the Takara Belmont Co., Ltd. was born. This was the product of a merger between Takara Chukosho (formerly Takara Chuzo) and Takara Chair Sales, a manufacturing arm and a sales specialist put together.

It was also in 1969 that the struggling St. Louis-based Koken, Incorporated was acquired by Takara Belmont. The purchase included Koken’s patents, trademarks and the brand name itself. Because of this, Takara Belmont became the dominant manufacturer of barber chairs in the US. By 1970, it had already grabbed 70% of the market share, ultimately making Paidar a small competitor.

Emil J. Paidar vintage barber chairs are priced substantially in auction sites and antique shops. If you are looking for one, take a look around to have an idea of the going price. Make an effort to negotiate something that is about a quarter of a percent less than the rates you can find online. Don’t hesitate to ask the antique shop owner to give you a better price. Then again, Paidars are made with the finest materials, and each one is built with care. So you should expect a slightly higher initial price tag if the condition is pristine.

If you managed to buy one, you should know how to take care of the chair. Dusting should be carried out using a soft, lint-free cloth. The wooden parts should only be waxed with beeswax that has a good quality. Refrain from positioning the chair in bright light or in rooms with abrupt temperature or humidity changes. When moving an antique chair, always lift it. Dragging will result to unnecessary troubles that can affect the value.

When it comes to antique barber chairs, the Koken barber chair has been a symbol of innovation. It was the first one to have a successfully integrated hydraulic lift. This technology made it convenient for the barber to lift the chair up or bring it down when he needed to. It was a groundbreaking idea during the early 1900’s.

A Koken barber chair is considered revolutionary during its time. It was the first one that would hydraulically lift up and down. Before 1891, barbers would have had taken a chair and spin it to raise it or spin it the other way around to lower it. Earnest Koken ended up designing his chair so that when the lever is pumped up and down, it would raise the chair up. On the other hand, the chair would gradually lower itself when the lever is pushed on its side.

Ernest Koken invented the hydraulic-powered barber chair, thus it was aptly named after him. Mr. Koken was born in Germany but moved to the United States in his early years. As a young boy, he already had a knack for blueprints. It wasn’t surprising that he was able to develop a reclining barber chair while working for a barber chair manufacturing company. He eventually moved on to form his own business called, Koken Barbers Supply. It was a success for some time. Unfortunately, his company went out of business in the 1950’s. About a decade later, Koken was acquired by the Takara Belmont Company, a competitor and the manufacturer of Belmont barber chairs.

Nowadays, Koken barber chairs are the most sought after vintage barber chairs. Their design and craftsmanship are genuinely one of a kind. A modern equivalent of the chair, the Legacy Koken Barber Chair, is being sold by the Takara Belmont Company to this day. On another note, there was a Koken featured in History Channel’s American Restoration. It was a 1930’s model shown in the episode titled, Close Shave which premiered on September 23, 2011. Fully restored, it sold for US $6,500. Rick Dale, owner of Rick’s Restorations, bought it from a local picker for US $400. Not bad for a beat-up Koken barber chair.

Of all the chairs ever invented, the barber’s chair is probably the most complex yet the most interesting in the bunch. A barber chair can conveniently rise up or lower down with the use of a foot-operated jack or a lever on the side. It can also stretch out so that the patron can comfortably lie down for a massage or have her hair washed. The barber doesn’t even need to go to either side when cutting hair. The chair can simply be rotated to the direction where the barber wants it to be. A barber’s chair is sturdy too. It can withstand men and women of various measurements. This makes sense, considering that most modern chairs are normally made from metal, porcelain and leather.