6 Indicators Of Rug Quality
December 7, 2016 02:56:44pm
A high quality rug is the ultimate expression of craftsmanship and can last for decades, when cared for properly. However, there are plenty of cheaper, low quality rugs that are manufactured to look like fine rugs. How do you determine if a rug is going to stand the test of time?
- Weaving Technique – The three main classifications of rugs are machine-made rugs, hand-tufted rugs, and hand-woven or hand-knotted rugs. Machine-made rugs are produced in mass, and though there are several nicer brands (such as Karastan), they are not considered works of art. Hand-tufted rugs are actually not handmade at all, but are made by shooting pieces of wool or other fiber through a piece of canvas, using a mechanized gun. Hand-knotted rugs are by far the highest quality rug. These rugs are, as their name implies, knotted by hand by a weaver at a loom, using age-old weaving techniques.
- Material – To create a high quality rug, one must begin with high quality materials. In rugmaking, this means wool or silk – specifically, high grade, unadulterated wool or silk. High quality wool has a luster to it, and silk has a high luster or even a shine to it. The highest quality materials are handspun wool or silk, though machine-spun is acceptable too, provided the fibers are pure wool or silk, and have not been blended with synthetic materials.
- Dyes – The three main classifications of wool dyes used in rug production are chemical dyes, vegetable dyes, and natural dyes. Natural and vegetal dyes are far more valuable than chemical dyes because they are more aesthetically pleasing, and because working with such plant-based dyes is difficult and requires skills that take significant time to cultivate. Chemical dyes are not used in high quality, wool or silk hand-knotted rugs.
- Knot Count – “KPI,” or knots per square inch, is often discussed as an indicator of rug quality. A rug’s KPI is determined by selecting a random 1-inch by 1-inch section on the rug and counting the number of knots included in that area. In many cases, a high KPI is a good indicator of quality. For example, silk threads would make very small knots, resulting in a high KPI, and indeed, a rug that is made of silk is likely a high quality rug. However, KPI should never be the only consideration when assessing quality. Art silk would also produce a high KPI, but art silk is not a high quality material. Alternately, many nomadic rugs are woven with coarse materials, which would result in a low KPI, though nomadic tribal rugs are often very high quality rugs.
- Length of Pile – In many cases, low pile indicates quality. Pile may be left longer in low quality rugs in order to hide flaws in the rug’s construction. Longer pile distorts the rug’s motifs, causing them to appear mottled. Rugs with long pile are also more susceptible to developing patterns of wear and/or crush marks.
- Age – In many cases, an older or antique rug is inherently more valuable because of its age. However, the rug must be in good shape for its age, having been well preserved and cared for through the decades or centuries. The rug must also be handmade and high quality to begin; a cheap rug that is old is merely dated. A well maintained, hand-knotted rug that is old, on the other hand, is likely a valuable antique collectible.
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