Although most of the rugs nowadays are machine made, there are rugs available that are handmade through ancient hand-weaving techniques. Once rugs were considered valuable property. The way rugs are made has changed over the years, but that doesn’t mean you still can’t get high quality handmade rugs. Most of the oriental rugs made by hand these days are found in the Far and Middle East. Some types of oriental rugs are; Turkish, Persian, Turkman and Chinese.
There are two main types of handmade rugs, and they are hand tufted and hand woven rugs. The way they are made is different, and you will now find out what those differences are. The different methods used to make the two types of handmade rugs will affect how they look and feel, cost and duration.
Hand Tufted Rugs
Most hand-woven rugs are hand-knitted, but another process used is known as hand tufting. This process was very popular in the 1920s and 1930s, but is not as popular today, although carpets made this way are a cheaper option. The main material used for hand-tufted carpets is pre-woven canvas, and the piles of such rugs often contain silk, wool, and other synthetic fibers.
Many people confuse hand knotted and hand tufted rugs due to the fact that they share similar characteristics. Hand-tufted rugs are inexpensive because they don’t take much time to make. These types of rugs are not made by tying small knots, but instead by forming small tufts.
This whole process begins with the fact that the substrate material is cut to the desired shape and size, after which the craftsman takes over. An image of the proposed rug design is projected onto the material so that the design can be traced. Then use a tufting gun to create a design on the rug and use latex glue to hold the tufts in place. A thin layer of this latex adhesive is also applied to the backing of the rug before adding the material to avoid damaging the floor on which the rug will be laid. Hand woven rugs may not be as durable and pricey as hand knotted rugs, but they are available in a similar style and at a cheaper price.
Hand-knotted Rugs
Weaving process a hand-knotted rugs takes a lot of time and skill. The number of knots per square inch determines the quality of a hand-knotted rug. So, The more knots the rug has, the higher the quality of each piece. A highly elaborate pattern requires very tight knots and may take a long time to complete. A skilled weaver can tie around 10,000 knots per day. That’s why you can imagine how long it takes to complete just one rug. This is the main reason why hand knotted rugs are more expensive than hand woven rugs.
Now that you understand the differences between these two handmade rugs, you can understand why one is so much more expensive than the other, why one lasts longer than the other, and the reasons for their production. There is a difference in methods. The next time you go out looking for rugs, you’ll have a better idea of what the difference is, so you can make a more informed choice in your selection.
Oriental Designer Rugs 