About 10 years ago, I purchased an early 1920s Koken barber chair that was in poor shape and had it completely restored. Since I could not find someone to restore it I basically did it myself. First, I took the chair completely apart and took all the metal parts (including screws and bolts) to a metal recycler and had everything re-plated. (Since chrome plating was not available in the 20s my original plating was nickle. I elected to have the new plating done in chrome since nickle tarnishes over time while chrome retains it’s shine.) Next, I took all the cushions to an upholsterer and had all the fabric replaced for a professional look. Also, I forgot to mention that a couple of metal pieces were broken so I had to take them to a welder prior to the replating. I cleaned out the hydraulic really good and put a new spring on the pump relief valve. I estimate that I paid around $1500 for outside work and paid $100 for the chair. I’m sure it’s worth a few thousand today but more importantly it’s really a beautiful piece of furniture in my shop. Hope this helps.

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