While there is no single, publicly accessible master "serial number list" for vintage Koken barber chairs today—as many factory records from the original St. Louis-based Koken Barbers Supply Company were lost when it went out of business in the 1950s—serial numbers remain the most reliable way to estimate a chair's production era when used alongside stylistic cues. Collectors typically cross-reference these numbers with known patent years and historical sales records to date their pieces.
However, finding a comprehensive, public-facing list for these serial numbers can be challenging, as Koken’s original factory records are not fully available to the public. This article serves as a comprehensive guide: it delves into Koken’s history, offers detailed instructions on how to find your chair’s serial number, provides a crowd-sourced database of known numbers and their associated dates, explains how to interpret the serial number format, and explores alternative methods for dating your chair when the numbers are missing. vintage koken barber chair serial number list
No. Early Koken chairs (pre-1905) often only had the patent date. They considered inventory tracking less important than protecting their IP. These are often the most valuable. While there is no single, publicly accessible master
Today, collectors, restoration experts, and vintage barbershops are on a constant hunt for these chairs. The single most common question asked in forums, Facebook groups, and antique stores is: Early Koken chairs (pre-1905) often only had the patent date
Dating a vintage Koken barber chair Go to product viewer dialog for this item.
: Indicates an early mechanical or early hydraulic transition model.
