It was in 1875 that the Eugene Berninghaus Company opened its doors to the general public in Cincinnati, Ohio. According to antique collectors, it was the first manufacturer of barber chairs in the United States. Like the Koken, Kochs and Paidar companies, the business was named after its founder, Eugene Berninghaus. Eugene was born in Germany in 1845 to Richard Berninghaus and Thusnelda Schnick. The family moved to New York in 1849. In 1856, they eventually settled in Ohio where they started selling perfumes as an enterprise. A couple of decades later, the now grown-up and married Eugene formed his own business. He passed away just days after his 79th birthday on July 17th, 1924. However, the business lived on until 1938.

Eugene Berninghaus designed the first barber chair that reclines and revolves at the same time. The company called this product, Paragon. Paragon was a response to its rival, the Archer Company, in which the design made it possible for the chair to raise and lower mechanically. These early models provided the blueprint for the barber chair designs that would follow a few years later. One such manufacturer was the Theo A. Kochs company, which combined the prior designs into its chairs and sold well.

The company became famous for its “Hercules” line of Berninghaus barber chairs. Hercules was made with the finest kinds of wood, including Oak, Mahogany and Walnut. It also has some cast iron portions. The upholstery was either leather or mohair plush. In 1960, one of its chairs was featured in the movie, Time Machine by H.G. Wells. It turned out to be an 1899 version of the Hercules that was modified for the set. In 1970, M.G.M., the firm that owns the movie auctioned off the chair along with many other props from different movies.

Berninghaus barber chairs are sought after by antique collectors today because of their age. Being the first in the industry and ceasing in the 1930’s, there are probably very few that survived the test of time. There are a few later models in good shape though. Fausto Ferrari’s shop has been operating in Cincinnati since 1957. Pay a visit and sit on one when you get a chance.

---

The Takara Belmont Corporation is the leading manufacturer of barber chairs, salon and dental equipment in the world. The company is based in Japan with branches in many parts of the world, including Brazil, the United States and Canada, France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and China. It also owns the Koken Manufacturing Co., Inc. based in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Koken was a popular barber supply brand in the US during the early 1900’s.

Takara has distributors in 80 countries, with 9 large showrooms in the US and Canada. It also has a lot of seating and styling station designs. In fact, the company has more of them than all other manufacturers combined. Over the years, it has become the design trend setter, paving the way for elegant and top quality salon and barber equipment. The salons it endorses are award winning. Furthermore, it houses the largest team of professional designers.

Takara Chuzo Ltd. was founded by Hidenobu Yoshikawa in Japan in 1921. It wasn’t until 1931 that Takara started producing barber chairs. In 1950, it developed it’s own version of the hydraulic adjustable barber chair. Six years later, the company was finally ready to enter the market in the United States. It established the Takara Company N.Y. Inc. in New York City as an overseas subsidiary company. This subsidiary would later become Takara Belmont USA, Inc. In 1959, Belmont Chairs London Ltd. was established – its second overseas branch.

The 1950’s and 60’s were really interesting times in the United States’ barber industry. Takara had a tremendous impact when it entered the market. It released its highly styled, low-priced product line named Belmont. Back then, the two leading manufacturers, Koken Barber’s Supply Company and Emil J. Paidar Company were not prepared to face the new challenger in town. In addition, a new trend was emerging. The Beatles hairstyle was in and clean cut was out. Haircuts were virtually replaced by hairstyles, and these made barbers lose younger customers. Salons began sprouting while the number of barber shops declined.

The company that was able to adapt well was no other than the Takara Belmont Company. Things had gone better for the company when it released the world’s first electric barber chair in 1962. It reduced stress on the hands and was a big hit among barber shop and salon owners. In the following years, the company expanded its operations to other countries and ventured into hair care products. In 1966, it partnered with Wella, a German company specializing in cosmetic supplies. Then in 1969, it acquired Koken. With the Koken and Belmont brands under one roof, Takara effectively became the largest manufacturer of barber chairs in the United States. Its long and rich history in making barber chairs made it a fierce competitor in the barber industry.

---

Kochs barber chairs are very popular to antique collectors. The Theo. A. Kochs Company was one of the first companies to be in the barber supply business. It was established in Chicago during the late 1800’s (estimated to be around 1871). According to its Spring, 1888 catalog, the company’s factory was situated far north of the Chicago River:

The North Side Cable Cars, in close proximity to all the principal railway depots, pass directly before our door. The route traversed by the cable cars is plainly designated on the above diagram by dotted lines. Passengers can get aboard these cars at Monroe, Madison, Washington, Randolph, Lake, La Salle and Clark streets. The Wells street Cable Cars will take passengers right to our factory; the Clark street cars carry passengers within two blocks of our establishment.

Intending purchasers will find it to their interest to call on us and examine our goods before buying elsewhere.

Following the barber chair design successes of St. Louis-based Archer Company and Cincinnati-based Eugene Berninghaus, Kochs integrated those enhancements into his design. Things turned out particularly well for the Chicago-based company. It sold tens of thousands in a relatively short span of time. As the company would put it:

This growth has been not only a remarkable but a healthy one; it demonstrates more forcibly than words can tell, the popularity and superiority of our goods. It is a cordial endorsement of the generous policy of the house and its straightforward business methods.
…
Our factory is the largest and most complete of its kind in the world, and we say this without making any reservation whatsoever. It is most systematically arranged for the highest grade of work at a minimum cost, and in its equipment of labor-saving machinery it cannot be surpassed.

Kochs barber chairs are made with high quality materials, that’s why they are reputable. Before the turn of the 20th century, most of the company’s barber chair designs were made of wood (mostly Walnut, Cherry or Mahogany) with elaborate ornamentation. The earlier models, which were plainly named No. 9, No. 5 or No. 25, had a separate footstool. These models didn’t have mechanisms for adjusting the height, so the company charged extra for an accessory to raise the seat.

One interesting model was Kochs Folding Barber Chair No. 40. It was made of Oak and upholstered in Velour plush. The upholstery was trimmed with fringes and the cloth-covered back was enameled. Due to its folding design, it occupied little space and only weighed less than 25 lbs. The chair was intended to be transportable; to be used by soldiers or barbers who travel the country during the Summer.

Aside from barber chairs, Kochs also sold barbers’ furniture such as stools, barber poles, mirror and dressing cases, mug cases, shelf cases, cabinet brackets, work-stands, wash-stands, hall racks, towel cases and looking glasses. Almost all of their models have remarkable engraving that’s typical of the Kochs brand.

Modern Kochs barber chair designs (1903 Catalog) can be viewed at the Smithsonian Libraries website.

---

Restoring old barber chairs is a huge undertaking, but it also has great payoffs. To the right collector, a restored antique barber chair can sell for many thousands of dollars. There is usually no owner’s manual for these kinds of things, so most of the work is DIY. To someone who’s new to the task, figuring out how and where the parts should go is both risky and time consuming. It’s risky because many pieces of the chair are sophisticated, and getting a single part wrong may drastically bring down its value. It’s time consuming since there is essentially no instructional materials to begin with.

If you’re the type of person who enjoys watching television shows like Pawn Stars, American Restoration, The Pickers, Salvage Hunters and other similar programs, you probably know how much investment in time and resources a restoration project can take. Take American Restoration as an example. Manpower hours is always a big concern. Each member of the team has his own specialty – from carpentry to metalworking to artwork and anything in between. When you look at the restored item, you’d see the passion and the craftsmanship that these guys put into the project. Doing it by yourself isn’t exactly impossible, but your old barber chairs might not see the light of day anytime soon.

Prior to committing yourself to the undertaking, there are things you can do to make sure that you’re on the correct path. In some instances, you may find that the restoration may simply be a matter of wiping the surfaces with a rag. Though in most cases, old barber chairs require taking each piece apart and repainting. Antique items that haven’t been maintained for a long time almost always have paint that deteriorated. Once the surface has been identified, sanding it can completely remove its paint. There are specific sanding methods, depending on the type of paint and the surface. Pay attention to this crucial step, as the wrong type of material can damage the surface as well. Consult an experienced restorer if needed.

The barber chair’s hydraulic system may have also deteriorated over time. Old barber chairs often use hydraulic cylinders like the machinery used in heavy equipment. In some instances, the fix can be as simple as putting fresh hydraulic fluid. In most cases, the chair has to be taken apart, cleaned and re-oiled.

As has been mentioned, this type of restoration requires commitment, and lots of it. It’s best to consult a professional and discuss with other enthusiasts in online forums to find out how to proceed accordingly.

---