Koken barber chair rebuild

[sgs]

My "thinkin chair" is an old Koken. I think 1932 or so. On the list for a full refurbish and wonder if anyone has any experience primarily with the lift cylinder / lift pump.

Gordon S.

 

[motorcycle79]

We need pics ASAP

 

[sgs]

Picture of chair attached. Probably going to link sideways. ..stupid phone camera!

Gordon S.

 

[sgs]

Its all there except the very end of the lift handle. Needs a strip down and general clean up. Reupholstered seat and rebuild of the lift cylinder and pump. Big expense will be redoing the nickel plating. Figure if I can't locate the missing handle I can simply turn on on a lathe.

Gordon S.

 

[sgs]

BTW...traded our old washer and dryer for this chair 18 years ago. Was going ti scrap them brcause washer drum had a crack in it and both about 15 years old.
Thunk through a long list of shop projects in this chair. Drank many a beer and a few good snoozes as well.

Gordon S.

 

[nine4gmc]

cool chair, love to see it restored!

 

[mhm993]

A good barber chair is perfect for thinking, drinking, conversing. Adjustable so it fits like a glove and makes you feel special sitting on it.

Great project!

 

[Jim_No_Garage]

Now all you need is a vintage oscillating fan, a ballgame on the radio in the background and 2 or 3 old geezers shooting the breeze while you sit in that chair and take a nap.

Ah memories . . . .

Jim

 

[motorcycle79]

Sweet keep us posted on progress

 

[thoraudio]

The barber shop that I use has Koken Presidential's.... I love them.

 

[albaran]

I restored an old Koken barber chair years ago. I found it on the porch of a beach cottage so it was very rusty. I sandblasted the pieces and painted them because the chroming would have been too expensive. The hardest part was cleaning out decades of hair from the mechanism. My wife upholstered it with fabric instead of the original leather. The pumping mechanism that raises the chair still works like it should. I'm not sure what year it is but I understand that the round seat makes it rare.

 

[cubfarm 1]

That pump and locking system is VERY simple. A engine lift is nice to pick the chair off of the unit under the seat A couple of tie doun straps can be crossed to lift with. Clean out the old oily sludge and it may heal without parts that are hard to come by.

 

[Glenn M.]

My dad was a barber. We had his Koken chair stolen off the front porch around 36 years ago. I don't remember the headrest being on his, though there might have been one.
A real treat to see a pic of yours - good luck with the rebuild!

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

... I sandblasted the pieces and painted them because the chroming would have been too expensive...

I'm certain you're right about the cost of re-chroming and yet it'd look outrageously cool.

Thanks you guys for giving me yet ANOTHER thing to start searching Craigslist for!