History of the barber chair

What would barbershops be without their impressive and elegant armchairs?, Let's delve into the History of the barber chair.

Origin

The art of barbering has a very ancient history and we can find examples of this profession in the Roman Empire or Ancient Greece. Their tools and chairs that they used for their clients also changed over time, as did this craft.

At first, only chairs, benches or armchairs would be used to do their work. Over time, this function has changed until we reach the barber-surgeons of the Middle Ages, which we have already explained in previous posts. For many years, both professions were separated and specialized.

In the 19th century, the barber industry was in full swing and, thanks to technological advances, all its tools were constantly improving.

This brings us to today's topic, barber chairs. Several models of armchairs began to be patented in the middle of this century.

first records

The Archer Company based in Sant Loius registered the first recliner with a footrest in 1878. Different companies are constantly changing this chair. The Koch Company took advantage of all this to market its latest generation armchairs. The chairs of today were made of the best materials and had the ability to recline and swivel to maximize comfort. At that time, Takara Belmont Company acquired Koken's company, which had gone bankrupt, making it the largest company on the market.

After a few years, the German immigrant Ernest Koken transforms the world of barber chairs. Previously, users had to turn the chairs to get up or down, but thanks to its invention in 1906, only a lever was needed to do so. As a result of this revolution, his system is still used today.

In the middle of the following century, several companies emerged that manufactured models similar to those of Koken, but with lower prices. At that time, Takara Belmont Company acquired Koken's company, which had gone bankrupt, making it the largest company on the market. This company gradually acquired the names and patents of Koken and, thanks to its lower prices, managed to monopolize the market and remain the leading company to this day.

Over the years, new companies emerged that manufactured barber chairs of various characteristics.

In recent years, the growth of this sector has allowed the appearance of barbershops with impressive chairs similar to those that used to dominate the world from their establishments.