Hand-Knotted, Hand-Tufted, And Machine-Made Rugs: Do The Differences Matter?
"What is the difference between hand-knotted, hand-tufted, and machine-made rugs?” is something that we often get asked. Our customers want to know if there is a difference between the quality, durability, and price. If you want to bring a sense of timeless style to your home, you can’t do much better than adding a hand-knotted rug. A hand-knotted rug will bring an inspired and dignified feeling into your home, and help to breathe life into any room it is in.
If you’re wondering why you should invest in an expensive hand-knotted rug instead of simply going for a cheaper rug, you’ll need to understand the value of production that goes into each of these rugs. Hand woven rugs are a labor of love – they can take anywhere from 3 to 18 months to be fully complete and only grow in worth with their age. The cost of a hand-knotted rug is more than a hand-tufted rug, or a flatweave, but their high quality, durability and beauty makes their value obvious.
Because of the strength of the rug, the uniqueness of its design, and the quality of the materials used, a Hand-knotted rug is by far the superior choice if you are searching for a beautiful, functional work of art that will last for generations to come. If you want to bring something really special and one-of-a-kind into your home, a hand-knotted rug is a perfect choice,as having a handmade piece in your home to brag about is the epitome of elegance.
Hand-knotted and hand-tufted are not the same
Many shoppers assume that hand-knotted and hand-tufted rugs are both ‘handmade’ and are therefore the same. This however is not the case with these two types of rugs, the difference between hand-knotted rugs and hand-tufted rugs is found in both the material used and the method of construction. Typically hand-knotted rugs are higher in quality, as they take longer to produce and feature finer details in the design. Hand-tufted rugs take a fraction of the time to produce and, as a result, are less than the cost of most hand-knotted rugs. Majority of the time customers who purchase hand-knotted rugs will consider these heirloom pieces and find them very valuable.
What is a hand tufted rug?
While hand-knotted rugs are made by meticulously tying every single knot in a rug, hand-tufted rugs use a tool called a tufting gun to speed up the process. This process uses a modified held drill that inserts the pile of cloth into a foundation, which creates a loop pile. The loops are then sheared to create a smooth cut-pile surface.The canvas of these rugs are all imprinted with the design of the rug, so that the fiber can follow the design and trace the stencil as the strands of fiber are punched. In comparison, since less work is involved than in the construction of a hand-knotted rug, even the highest-quality tufted rugs can be produced relatively quickly. One thing to note about these rugs is that they shed more than any other rugs and therefore must be vacuumed more frequently.What is a hand knotted rug?
Complex and time-consuming, hand-knotted rugs are often hailed as works of art, and for very good reason. Hand-knotted rugs are woven on a loom and require a lot of skill and patience to produce. A good quality hand-woven rug can take up to 18 months to produce. Up close and personal, the artistry and intricacy of a hand-knotted rug is breathtaking. Due to the quality and the time it takes to produce these rugs, these rugs are more durable than machine made rugs or hand-tufted rugs. With a hand-knotted rug, the fibers are held in place with tightly woven knots that do not pull out over time. Since these are crafted by artisans, no two hand-knotted rugs will be exactly alike.What is a machine-made rug?
Each of these rugs are made with calibrated and programmed machines, therefore every rug is perfectly uniform. Upon inspection of each of these rugs, you won’t find any imperfections in the design, unbalanced stitching or rough angles. While this gives the rug an exacting beauty, it will never truly replicate the brilliance and elegance that a handmade rug can have. Machine made oriental rugs can take up to an hour tops to completely manufacture, which is why you will find them at a cheaper price and readily available to purchase.If you’re wondering why you should invest in an expensive hand-knotted rug instead of simply going for a cheaper rug, you’ll need to understand the value of production that goes into each of these rugs. Hand woven rugs are a labor of love – they can take anywhere from 3 to 18 months to be fully complete and only grow in worth with their age. The cost of a hand-knotted rug is more than a hand-tufted rug, or a flatweave, but their high quality, durability and beauty makes their value obvious.
Because of the strength of the rug, the uniqueness of its design, and the quality of the materials used, a Hand-knotted rug is by far the superior choice if you are searching for a beautiful, functional work of art that will last for generations to come. If you want to bring something really special and one-of-a-kind into your home, a hand-knotted rug is a perfect choice,as having a handmade piece in your home to brag about is the epitome of elegance.