The Emil J. Paidar Company has been making barber chairs since 1900. The Chicago-based company is one of the top two national manufacturers of barber supplies in the United States during that period. The other is Koken Barber’s Supply Company based in St. Louis Missouri. Paidar also provided a ton of other barber supplies, including barber poles, mirror cases, wall fixtures, work cabinets, manicure tables, shoe shine stations, and coat racks.
As the name suggests, it was founded by Emil J. Paidar. According to records, Emil died on May 7, 1950 from a car accident. He was supposed to go to his summer house in Little Traverse Bay when the incident occurred. Mr. Paidar was 74 years old.
The company had some interesting barber equipment in its catalog. One in particular was their Duo-Hydraulic Barber’s Chair product line, which was labeled “The Chair with the Longest Life”. It is actually a variation of the Koken hydraulic chairs with different improvements. Koken pioneered hydraulic lift technology in barber chairs which he patented in 1892.
The Great Depression in the 1930s was a major challenge for the barber supply business in the United States. Despite the decline in orders, the top two companies were still going head-to-head, vying for customer loyalty and the most chairs sold. Various financing plans were announced to make bulk ordering quick and convenient. Furthermore, diversification became a necessity to stay alive. During World War II, the demand for barbershop equipment skyrocketed not because the military needed haircuts, but because orders for toolboxes and cartridges increased.
In 1957, a new competitor entered the domestic market. Japan-based Takara Company sold barber chairs in the US under the Belmont brand. They were affordable and very stylish at the same time. In reality, they were derivatives of Emil J. Paidar barber chairs that were listed at discounted prices. Dealers couldn’t help but switch to the newcomer, which had a more modern look. This eventually led Koken and Paidar to appeal to the government to increase the import tax on Belmont barber chairs, since they originated in Japan. However, the appeal was not fully granted, and Koken was eventually purchased by what is now called the Takara Belmont Company. As a result of the acquisition, Paidar was surpassed as the leading manufacturer of barbershop supplies and equipment in the US.
Emil J. Paidar barber chairs are now considered vintage and command a hefty price on auction sites.