A barber chair in a recreation of J. N. Hooper's Barber Shop (Seattle, WA circa 1880s) at the Museum of History and Industry A barber chair is a chair for customers to a barber or hairdresser. The chairs usually have adjustable height (with a foot-operated jack or a hand-operated lever on the side). It can also rotate, or lean backwards (for hairwashing and shaving). They are normally made from metal and leather and are usually rather heavy. On the low end for cheaper barber chairs, the cost can be around $500, whereas higher-end barber chairs with more advanced features like adjustable headrests and leg rests, reclining capabilities and more sturdy building materials typically cost up to $2500. In 2015, barber chairs being used as decoration in a restaurant in Phoenix. Barber chairs in engravings from the Civil War era share many features with modern chairs, including high seating, upholstery, and a footrest.[1] The first factory-manufactured chairs date to around 1850.
[1] The first one-piece reclining barber chair with an attached footrest was patented in 1878[2] by the Archer Company of Saint Louis.[3] Archer quickly followed it with a chair that raised and lowered mechanically. Eugene Berninghaus of Cincinnati improved on Archer's design with the first reclining and revolving chair, the Paragon.[1] Theodore Koch of Chicago incorporated all of these innovations into his chairs, selling more than 35,000 chairs in the period before 1885. In 1897, Samuel Kline (of the Kline Chair Company)[4][5] patented a chair[6] and filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Theodore Koch in 1905 (but was overturned).[7] In 1904, Kline filed a patent for an "adjustable chair" which was granted in 1907. Barack Obama's bulletproof glass-encased barber chair at Hyde Park Hair Salon in Chicago In 1900, Ernest Koken, a German immigrant, created a hydraulic-operated chair and also patented the "joystick" side lever, which allowed a barber to control all the mechanical functions.
In the late 1950s, US-based barber chair manufactures sold about 10,000 chairs a year to the 100,000 barber shops.[9] Chicago-based Emil J. Paidar Company was a leading manufacturer of barber chairs in the late 1950s (Belmont and American Barber Chair Company from 1948 to 1956 whose chairs were spinoffs of the Koken chair).[] Starting in 1957, Belmont joined Osaka,[] Japan's Takara Belmont Company began importing almost exact duplicates of Paidar chairs—at 20%-30% less cost.[9] In June 1969 Takara purchased the Koken Barber Chair building and production equipment in St. Louis Mo and in 1970 they purchased the Koken name, trademarks and patents this purchase was the main reason that by 1970, Takara had 70% of the US market, beating out Paidar who once held the same amount. One-chair or single-chair barbershops are small, usually independent, barbershops that have only one barber chair available to customers. This is an older tradition in the barbering business that is slowly fading out as the last generation of barbers begins to retire and few younger barbers step up to fill the roles.
One-chair barbershops serve one customer at a time and provide a one-on-one barber experience, whereas multi-chair barbershops serve many clients at once and get clients in and out faster, so they can make more money by serving more clients concurrently. Some salons have also incorporated the single-chair barbershop model into their businesses. ^ a b c d e f Do bald men get half-price haircuts?: in search of Americas' great barbershops, Vince Staten, Simon & Schuster, 2001, p. 95, 176pp, ISBN 978-0-684-86745-8 (retrieved 16 August 2010 from Google Books) ^ 1873 according to patent #D6648, DESIGN FOR BARBERS AND DENTISTS CHAIRS, George W. and Robert W. Archer, issued 13 May 1873 (retrieved 17 August 2010 at Google Patents) ^ a b Where Men Hide, James B. Twitchell, Ken Ross; Columbia University Press, 2008, pp. 110-1, 248pp, ISBN 978-0-231-13735-5 (retrieved 16 August 2010 from Google Books) ^ Advertisement, The Barbers' Journal, Volumes 13, Number 1, Journeymen Barbers' International Union of America, January 1902 (retrieved 2 September 2010 from Google Books)
^ Genealogical and Personal Memorial of Mercer County, New Jersey, Volume 1, Francis Bazley Lee (editor), Lewis Publishing Company, 1907, p. 292-3 (retrieved 2 September 2010 from Google Books) ^ Design for a chair, Samuel Kline, patent #D26623, filed 20 October 1896, granted 9 February 1897 ^ Kline Chair Co. v. Theo. A Kochs & Son et al., The Federal Reporter: Cases argued and determined in the circuit and district courts of the United States, Volume 138, West Publishing Company, 1905 (retrieved 2 September 2010 from Google Books)> ^ Adjustable chair, Samuel Kline, patent #862565, filed 20 July 1904, granted 6 August 1907 ^ a b c Japan: The Great Barber-Chair Coup, Time, 10 August 1970 (retrieved 17 August 2010) ^ History of the One-Chair Barbershop1950's Belmont Takara Antique Barber Chair View DetailsCondition:--Time left:14d 13h 4mItem location:Texas barberchairs (291)3 (Three) x TAKARA BELMONT BB-225 ELEGANCE BARBER CHAIRS w/headrests, mint!
$6,500.00Belmont Vintage Barber Chair - Great Condition $750.00Vintage Belmont Barber Chair Headrest Part Kochs Paidar $5,000.00Vintage Belmont Takara Barber Chair Hydraulic $195.00Antique Belmont Barber Chair works perfectly for barber shop 1950's $2,200.00Electric Belmont Barber Shop Chair, everything works, red upholstery $1,400.002 Belmont Barber Chairs Fully Functional Classic Antique Barber Shop Classic $4,500.00Vintage Belmont Barber Chair Misc Screws, Bolts, & Pins Part Kochs Koken $2,000.00Takara Belmont BB-0090 Koken Legacy Barber ChairsoldVintage Belmont Barber Chair Cast Iron Leg Foot Rest Part Kochs Koken $40.00Western Antique Vintage 1950s Belmont Takara No. 5 Custom Barber Chair $6,999.00 watchingVintage Belmont Barber Chair Foot Rest Part Kochs Paidar Koken $60.00Vintage Belmont Barber Chair Cast Iron Upholstery Back Rest Part Kochs Koken $80.00Takara Belmont BB-225 barber chair w/headrest (used) good working condition
$1,250.00 watchingAntique Barber Chair. Free Local PickupBelmont Barber Chair Headrest $175.00Takara Belmont BARBER CHAIR W/ELECTRIC BASE NEW UPHOLSTERY3 sold1950's Takara Belmont 'Mega Chrome' Barber Chair $1,550.00TWO RED BELMONT BARBER ELECTRIC CHAIRS $1,500.00Vintage Belmont Barber Chair Cast Iron Arm Rest Emblem Part Kochs Paidar Koken $100.00Vintage Takara Belmont Barber Chair Calf Rest Red Padded Grill Very Heavy $99.99belmont barber chairTakara Belmont BB-225 Elegance Barber Chair Head Rest - Brand NewsoldAntique Electric Belmont Barber Shop Chair For Parts - As-Is - Possible Delivery $350.00 watchingVintage Belmont Japan Hydraulic Tilt Back Salon / Medical / Dental Chair Green $450.00Takara Belmont BB-225 Barber Chair Towel Racksold*LPU* Takara Belmont Barber Salon Chair model AN-B5145 Browse RelatedBarber Chair HeadrestTakara BelmontBarber PoleKochs Barber ChairOld Barber ChairAbout Belmont Barber ChairsShop the large inventory of mercantile,trades, and factory items and antique barber chairs!