: Look for a small, flat area on the cast iron base plate or near the rotation mechanism where a series of digits may be stamped.

While we may never have a perfect, line-by-line ledger from the Koken factory, the patent dates and model features serve as our serial number list. By comparing your chair’s number to the timeline above, you can place your piece of history in the right decade.

Today, collectors, restoration experts, and vintage barbershops are on a constant hunt for these chairs. The single most common question asked in forums, Facebook groups, and antique stores is:

Here is a useful piece for identifying and dating your vintage Koken barber chair.

If your chair has a serial number that isn't on the list, or the number is illegible, you can still date it with high accuracy using visual cues.