Is My Rug Handmade or Machine-Made?

Posted by Admin

December 12, 2018 09:03:09pm

Nothing compares to an authentic, hand-knotted Persian or Oriental rug… the quality is unsurpassed!  You can also find area rugs that are designed to imitate Oriental rugs, and while these machine-made imitations may be reminiscent of authentic Oriental rugs, when you look more closely, you’ll see they are far lower in quality.

Here are 4 ways to help you determine if a rug is made by hand or made by machine:

1. Fiber Content – Authentic Oriental rugs are almost always made of wool fibers, or occasionally silk.  If a rug is made of polypropylene or other synthetic fiber, it’s probably not an authentic handmade Oriental rug.  Wool is durable, which is why good quality hand-knotted rugs are able to last for generations. Additionally, wool is hypoallergenic, antibacterial, and even flame retardant.
2. Underside – Look on the backside of the rug.  If it’s hand-knotted, you’ll see the same pattern repeated on both sides, indicating it was woven by hand on a loom.  Hand-knotted rugs do not have any type of backing to them. If you see a backing, this is a sure sign the rug is machine made.  During construction, the fibers of these machine-made rugs are secured to their plastic backing, typically with latex glue.
3. Fringe – The fringe on a handmade Oriental rug forms the foundation of the rug.  In hand-knotted rugs, the wool (or silk) fibers are knotted around these “warp” and “weft” yarns, which then extend to naturally become the fringe.  In a machine-made rug, the fringe is glued or sewn on afterwards and is in no way part of the rug’s construction.
4. Durability / Strength – Handmade rugs are significantly stronger and more durable than machine-made rugs.  In a machine-made rug, the tufts of fabric can often be pulled from the plastic backing, and the plastic backing itself will become brittle and eventually fall apart.  However, in a hand-knotted rug, the fibers are tightly woven – indeed knotted together – and will not pull out over time.

RugPro Oriental Rug Cleaning is the best professional rug cleaning company in Jacksonville FL and the trusted service of homeowners in San Marco, Riverside, downtown Jacksonville, and the Beaches.  We specialize in providing gentle but thorough deep cleaning for Persian and Oriental rugs by customizing a cleaning plan based on your rug’s specific needs.