Hand-Knotted vs Hand-Tufted Rugs: What's the Difference?
Handmade artefacts and collectibles are the current rage throughout the world. We have long outgrown the obsession for factory made, standardized furnishings for our home, and would now prefer to have something that is made by hand. The exclusivity and the personalized touch are what make hand crafted things so precious. It goes without saying that handmade craftsmanship is expensive. So, despite desiring to possess a handmade artefact, not everyone has the means to purchase one. Hand tufted rugs are some handmade collectibles that are created with skill by artisans, and also fit into your budget. These are different from hand knotted rugs in terms of the time and skill required for weaving. Since the process is partially done on mechanized tool, rugs that are hand tufted are more affordable than those that are hand knotted. So, if you are interested in buying something that looks stunningly beautiful and is also practical to use, without burning a hole in your pocket, opt for hand-tufted area rugs. What does hand tufted mean in a rug? After making the carpet design on paper, a tool called a tufting gun is used to trace the design on a canvas on a frame. Once the hand tufted rug is completed, a second fabric called the scrim is glued to the back to hold the yarns in place. A fringe may be added to the rug by either sewing or gluing it on. Hand tufted rugs do not take as much time to be woven as hand knotted rugs. Both are made by hand, though the technique of creating hand tufted and hand knotted rugs differ. These are far more durable and sturdier than factory made, standard rugs. However, make sure you buy from a reliable vendor, as the quality of hand tufting varies from rug to rug, and depends on the technique and material used. The latex that is used to bind the rug material can break down if it is of poor quality. Do hand-tufted rugs have loops? These rugs are made of wool, and the loops are sheared after being finished. This flattens the rug pile height and makes it more comfortable. The edges of hand tufted rugs are bound to make them stronger. You need to take care of these carpets by regularly cleaning them. Avoid beating or thrashing as these rugs are of variable quality and durability. Make sure the under-covering of the rug you purchase is strong, or the carpet might fall apart over time. If you take care to maintain them, the best hand tufted rugs will last a couple of decades, much longer than machine made carpets. Are hand tufted rugs good quality? As explained above, though lesser durable than genuine hand knotted rugs, these rugs are far superior in quality to machine-made carpets. You get good value for money with the best hand tufted rugs. These are suited for homes that have small children or hyperactive pets, where maintaining an expensive hand knotted rug would be difficult. Also, because of the affordability, you can decorate your home with more than one piece. They last for a couple of decades if they are properly maintained. The following need to be kept in mind while using hand tufted rugs: Do not place in high traffic area, as the edges get dirty and are difficult to clean. Stains are harder to remove as you cannot use too much moisture or heat to clean. If the glue dries out, the under-covering can loosen up. This happens in poor quality rugs. In rugs of inferior quality, the smell of latex may linger even after a couple of vacuums. You can pick colorful hand tufted rugs to place in your living room under the couch or settee, or in the dining room under the table. These beauties add character and warmth to your home, without draining your budget. There are several carpet outlets both online as well as offline, but not each one will give you the assurance of quality, durability and artisanship. Always buy the genuine hand tufted rugs from a vendor who assures you of the following: Best designs and workmanship of rugs by master craftsmen Excellent durability and high quality of latex used. No smell emits or latex dust is produced when you clean them. There is no shedding as carpet loops are properly sheared, and the rug is made suitable for regular use. Strong under covering that binds the carpet together. Since rugs are an integral part of your interior décor, make sure these reflect your impeccable choice and taste. And when you can get one in your budget, that’s the icing on the cake! Take the looks of your living space a few notches higher with a bright and vibrant hand tufted rug.
Do You Know Why your Home Deserves a Hand Knotted Rug?
Your home is your ultimate comfort zone, your cosy sanctuary. Wouldn’t you want your home to reflect your impeccable taste and style? Wouldn’t you want to add artefacts that are timeless and classic around you in your abode? Certain things defy age and time to become heirloom possessions. Hand knotted rugs are like that. Once you own one and get used to it, you aren’t going to settle for anything less. And your hand crafted possession becomes a family heritage to be handed down to successive generations to come. What is so special about hand knotted rugs? For one, they are painstakingly knotted by hand by a master artisan. Secondly, they look out of this world in terms of beauty, class and authenticity. Thirdly, the durability of this rug is far more than ordinary carpets. So, if you are pondering over buying something exquisite for your home, you can safely select a hand knotted carpet that will stand the test of time. Are hand knotted rugs durable? The yarn is tightly knotted by hand by skilled artisans around the warp and weft of the rug. The more the knots a rug has, the more intricate its design and the better its quality. You get extraordinary quality and durability in hand knotted rugs. The techniques of knotting by hand are handed down through many generations of master craftsmen. The knots may be in the Turkish or Persian style. Since superior quality materials are used to make these rugs, and a complex hand weaving technique is used, these rugs have exceptional strength and durability. This sturdy rug can withstand the ravages of use and time, and be passed on to future generations. They are the last word in durability. Do hand knotted rugs shed? A rug of poor quality will shed loose fibre as a part of the wearing process, but a genuine product of superior quality will not. The minor imperfections that may be present in a handmade piece are, in fact, testimony to the laborious weaving process that has gone into its making. You can discern a hand knotted rug by seeing the underside. A factory-made product will have a latex coating that holds the tufts in place covered by a fabric that an authentic traditional hand knotted carpet doesn’t have. Besides this, you can discern the original product from the fringes of the rug. In a handmade rug, the fringes form the rug foundation and are an integral part of the whole design. In a machine-made one however, you will notice that fringes are separately added on to the rug to make it appear handmade. Are hand knotted rugs from India good quality? In India, our skilled master craftsmen weave some of the best, most intricate carpets with dense KPSI. Hand knotted rugs from India are considered some of the finest and most beautiful in the world. The knots of a traditional hand knotted rug are extremely tight and are visibly tied together closely. The quality of these rugs can be gauged by the knot density. The knot density varies from 40 knot per square inch (KPSI) to 2000 knots per square inch. You can find out the carpet’s KPSI by turning it over and checking the knots. A rug of poor quality will have lesser knots per square inch, while standard quality rugs will have at least 400 knots per square inch. The most expensive, high quality rugs, have anything above 1000 knots per square inch, and take the maximum time to get completed. Owing to the time consumed and specialized skill involved in making a superior quality rug, hand knotted rugs tend to be cost more than machine-made rugs. You get the following advantages: Made from pure wool or silk alone, or wool combined with silk. Each piece is unique, the beauty of a genuine product being exquisite. A genuine rug knotted by hand lasts for generations. Wouldn’t you want your home to have one of these beauties? How to Assess the Quality of a Genuine Piece If you want this timeless heirloom artifact for your home, you would need to purchase an original product. But how would you know if the rug you are buying is of best quality? Make sure it ticks the following boxes: Has a KPSI of over 1000 Is made of pure wool or silk with cotton The underside doesn’t have an attached coating The fringes are a part of the design. It doesn’t shed loose fibres. If a manufacturer or stockist is offering a genuine piece, all these conditions will be met. Get your home the warmth and timeless beauty of a genuine, long-lasting hand knotted rug that spells class and stands the test of time!
Everything You need to Know about Hand Knotted Carpets
A thing of beauty is a joy forever, so said Shakespeare. Life is all about the finer things, isn’t it? Objects of fine art and beauty are rare, and take time to be made. But when months of painstaking labour and hard-earned craftsmanship result in an exquisite product, then the wait seems worth it. And the outcome becomes an heirloom to be passed onto future generations. One such product of exquisite craftsmanship is the hand knotted carpet, made with love and attention by master craftsmen who have spent years training and perfecting their craft. Each piece is a timeless classic and worth possessing for its sheer artistry. So, if you are thinking of investing in one, let us guide you on how to discern hand knotted pieces from machine-made ones, and where to get genuine hand knotted carpets in India. What is a hand knotted carpet? A hand knotted carpet is a hand-crafted piece, in which the weaver ties each knot by hand around the warp and weft of the rug. The more intricate the design, the more knots it has. Skilled artisans work several hours, with astonishing artistry and patience, to create a unique hand knotted carpet. The material used in hand knotted rugs is usually combinations of wool and silk, or pure wool or pure silk alone, with a cotton foundation. The distinctive features of a genuine piece are: Individual craftsmanship Intricate designs and patterns Use of natural dyes and colours Excellent durability that lasts for several generations Each design is unique and one of a kind Can withstand high usage Since these carpets and rugs are far superior in terms of sheer craftsmanship and detailed attention than machine-made carpets, these are priced higher than the latter. But then, when did art come without a price? How can you tell if a rug is hand knotted? The number of knots alone is one factor from which you can ascertain the quality of a genuine hand knotted carpet. You can do it by checking the Knots Per Square Inch (KPSI) of a piece. Turn a hand knotted rug over, and count the knots running across the length and breadth per square inch. On multiplying them, you will get the total KPSI. For example, a rug with 14 knots each vertically and horizontally per inch, has a KPSI of 196. This is a slightly complex calculation, but your weaver or stockist can guide you suitably. (KPSI can be compared to the number of pixels per square inch in a. high-resolution image, where the higher the number of pixels, the more detailed and good quality is the image). You can also examine the following: The quality of the wool used Types of dyes used The pile height of the carpet Intricacy of the design Since they're made by hand, these might have minor imperfections. But then, what is beauty without a bit of imperfection? Rather than viewing these imperfections as flaws, connoisseurs value these as artful hallmarks of a hand-woven piece. Do be careful of imitations however. Many machine-made carpets intentionally emulate this same effect. Do check the KPSI and other mentioned criteria. How long does it take to hand knot a rug? Anything that is labour intensive and involves craft and expertise, takes time and immense patience to get made. There are more than eighteen steps involved in the journey of creating a hand knotted carpet! One of the oldest techniques of carpet weaving in our country, hand knotting requires the skills of master craftsmen who spend several hours toiling to produce a high-quality rug. It is estimated that around 120 skilled artisans are involved in making a single piece! The weaver first creates the design on paper, then reproduces it on the loom. Each knot is tied by hand, so it is a painstakingly slow process. It may take up to several years to complete a hand knotted carpet. It goes without saying that the finished work of art is classic, eternal, and of exquisite beauty. Are hand knotted rugs worth it? Are solitaire diamonds worth their exorbitant price? Why do we buy original works of art from the masters when we can easily get fakes? Are bespoke artefacts or designer wear worth possessing? You get the drift? The answer is yes, if you are a discerning buyer. Hand-made products and works of art lack the sheen and perfection of machine-made items, but are far superior in terms of artistry and authenticity. What is special about hand knotted carpets is the sheer amount of craftsmanship involved. Imagine the amount of work on one finished piece! If you are an aesthete, you would definitely want to possess one of these beauties. Hand knotted carpets in India are made in various parts of North India. However, to own one, you don’t need to travel to where the artisan is based. Why Bareeki? Bareeki is a platform meant to showcase the work of Indian craftsmen. We work with artisans whose families have been weaving carpets for generations. Our carpets have a minimum of 1 lakh knots, with a pile height of about 1-2 cm. Which means that the knots are tight, making the carpet highly durable. The dyes used in the carpet are absolutely natural. Genuine and natural sheep wool is ethically sourced It takes about two months to one year to make a Bareeki carpet, depending on the size