Barber chair
Encyclopedia
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). They are normally made from metal
and leather
and are usually pretty heavy.
Barber chairs in engravings from the Civil War
era share many features with modern chairs, including high seating, upholstery
, and a footrest. The first factory-manufactured chairs date to around 1850. The first one-piece reclining barber chair with an attached footrest was patented in 1878 by the Archer Company of Saint Louis. 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. 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) patented a chair and filed a patent infringement
lawsuit against Theodore Koch in 1905 (but was overturned). In 1904, Kline filed a patent for an "adjustable chair" which was granted in 1907.
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. Chicago-based Emil J. Paidar Company was a leading manufacturer of barber chairs in the late 1950s Belmont was and American Barber Chair Company from 1948 to 1956 which chair were spinoffs from 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. By 1970, Takara had 70% of the US market, beating out Paidar who once held the same amount.
Chair
A chair is a stable, raised surface used to sit on, commonly for use by one person. Chairs are most often supported by four legs and have a back; however, a chair can have three legs or could have a different shape depending on the criteria of the chair specifications. A chair without a back or...
for customers to a barber
Barber
A barber is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair, and to shave or trim the beards of men. The place of work of a barber is generally called a barbershop....
or hairdresser
Hairdresser
Hairdresser is a term referring to anyone whose occupation is to cut or style hair in order to change or maintain a person's image. This is achieved using a combination of hair coloring, haircutting, and hair texturing techniques...
.
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). They are normally made from metal
Metal
A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...
and leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
and are usually pretty heavy.
Barber chairs in engravings from the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
era share many features with modern chairs, including high seating, upholstery
Upholstery
Upholstery is the work of providing furniture, especially seats, with padding, springs, webbing, and fabric or leather covers. The word upholstery comes from the Middle English word upholder, which referred to a tradesman who held up his goods. The term is equally applicable to domestic,...
, and a footrest. The first factory-manufactured chairs date to around 1850. The first one-piece reclining barber chair with an attached footrest was patented in 1878 by the Archer Company of Saint Louis. 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. 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) patented a chair and filed a patent infringement
Patent infringement
Patent infringement is the commission of a prohibited act with respect to a patented invention without permission from the patent holder. Permission may typically be granted in the form of a license. The definition of patent infringement may vary by jurisdiction, but it typically includes using or...
lawsuit against Theodore Koch in 1905 (but was overturned). In 1904, Kline filed a patent for an "adjustable chair" which was granted in 1907.
In 1900, Ernest Koken, a German immigrant, created a hydraulic-operated chair and also patented the "joystick
Joystick
A joystick is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. Joysticks, also known as 'control columns', are the principal control in the cockpit of many civilian and military aircraft, either as a center stick or...
" 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. Chicago-based Emil J. Paidar Company was a leading manufacturer of barber chairs in the late 1950s Belmont was and American Barber Chair Company from 1948 to 1956 which chair were spinoffs from 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. By 1970, Takara had 70% of the US market, beating out Paidar who once held the same amount.