How to Tell if a Rug is Handmade (Guest Post by Katlynn from eSaleRugs)

Hey everyone, Katlynn from eSaleRugs contacted me about writing an informative article for you guys about how to determine the make and quality of your rug. I couldn't refuse - good information for anyone.

Know Your Rugs: How to Tell If a Rug is Hand-Made

Rugs make beautiful additions to any room in a house. They add color, patterns, texture, and really show the owner’s style. When browsing through the many beautiful options you can find both online and in rug showrooms near you, you may notice that dealers often highlight the rugs’ manufacturing: machine-made rugs, hand-tufted rugs, and hand-knotted rugs are all very different products.
 

Quality and Originality

Machine-made rugs come in a wide range of quality options. A machine woven rug, for example, can be made so well it is difficult to distinguish it from a hand-knotted rug. These rugs tend to hold up very well in the long term, although like other kinds of machine-made rugs or hand-tufted rugs, they are not likely to serve well as investments or conversation starters. Some versions are held together by glues or synthetic backings that end up failing over time, especially in high traffic areas.

 

A hand-tufted rug is made by hand using a tufting gun on a rug canvas (see how here), which means these rugs may have a bit more of a personal touch than a mass-produced machine-made rug. On the other hand, backings on these rugs are often glued as well, which means they run the same risk of time and traffic. Hand-knotted rugs are almost always the best choice for quality and originality, but they also tend to be a bit more expensive than the previous options; this can put truly handmade rugs out of reach for some shoppers.

How to Tell if a Carpet is Hand-Made or Machine-Made

There are some machine-made carpets that are so well created that it can be difficult to distinguish them from the authentic, hand-knotted carpets. Here are a few things to look for:

1. The material: anything made with synthetic fibers is almost certainly machine-made. Check the rug’s material to determine whether it’s wool, polypropylene, or a blend.

2. The fringe: if the fringe was applied after the carpet was finished rather than part of the integrity of the rug (“warp strings” on which the rug itself is woven), it’s a dead giveaway that the rug is machine-made.

3. The backing: a hand-knotted rug will have a degree of unevenness on its backing, whereas a machine-knotted rug will generally have perfectly spaced stitching. A hand-tufted rug will typically have a cloth backing and will lack the neat finishing along the edges that is typical of machine-made rugs.

Rugs are an excellent way of demonstrating a personal sense of style throughout a home. Choosing between a machine-made and hand-tufted rug can be a challenging choice, but understanding what the different terms mean in terms of style and quality can go a long way in making the best choice for you!

eSaleRugs.com is the largest purveyor of fine Persian and Oriental rugs in the world, and we’ve been doing it for over 45 years. With our network of buyers and relationships built over time, we can acquire Persian and Oriental rugs that no one else can, at unbelievable prices. Our rugs are priced at 75% below retail, and often below wholesale. Let us help you find the perfect rugs for your home!