Vintage Koken Barber Chair Serial Number List

Also look for:

No master list exists. Unlike cars or modern manufactured goods, the Koken companies (Koken Manufacturing Co., St. Louis; later Koken Barber Supply) did not publish a public serial-number-to-year decoder. Any online “list” is likely a user-compiled approximation.

Let’s address the elephant in the restoration garage immediately. There is no publicly available, comprehensive, decade-by-decade “Koken barber chair serial number list” like you would find for a classic car or a Winchester rifle. vintage koken barber chair serial number list

Why? Unlike firearm manufacturers who kept meticulous, surviving logs for liability reasons, Koken was a supply company. While they stamped serial numbers on their chairs (usually on the hydraulic pump housing or the base plate), the original factory ledgers have been lost, destroyed, or are locked in private collections that have not been digitized.

What does exist? What collectors call a “list” is actually a patchwork of crowd-sourced data, original catalog reprints, and a few key serial number ranges recovered from surviving shipping ledgers from the early 1900s. Also look for:

Since a master list doesn't exist digitally, here is where you actually go to verify your chair:

| Model Name / Type | Serial Number Range | Notable Features | |-------------------|---------------------|--------------------| | Standard (No. 1) | 5000–25000 | Round cast base, no armrest cushion | | Elite (No. 2) | 15000–60000 | Tufted back, porcelain armrests | | Koken “Barrier” | 30000–70000 | Split upholstery (hygienic design) | | Streamline (Art Deco) | 50000–100000 | Smooth back, teardrop footrest | | Royal | 80000–130000 | Full chrome trim, adjustable headrest | | Komet | 110000–160000 | Compact base, reclining back | | Superba | 140000–170000 | Large upholstered armrests, wide seat | No master list exists

1910s–1920s

1920s–1930s

1930s–1940s

1940s–1950s

1950s–1960s

Note: These ranges are approximate. Serial formats changed over time and Koken sometimes used model numbers or patent numbers instead of continuous serials.

If your chair has a serial number that isn't on the list, or the number is illegible, you can still date it with high accuracy using visual cues.

These are the "holy grail" finds. If your chair has a cast iron base with ornate scrollwork and a porcelain shave-stand, check the patent dates stamped on the metal plate.