Compared to other types of rug, handmade rugs are often unmatched in terms of quality and durability. However, there can be differing levels of quality even among handmade rugs. While both hand-knotted rugs and hand-tufted rugs are handmade, enthusiasts know they are very different products.
Hand Knotted Rugs
When you think of an heirloom Persian or Oriental rugs, you are thinking of hand-knotted rugs. These rugs are painstakingly made by artisans using techniques that stretch back thousands of years. The process involves tying yarn, which will make up the pile of the rug, onto the warp, which makes up the structure of the rug.
The highest quality hand-knotted rugs will have hundreds of individual knots per square inch and can take months to complete. These rugs are truly works of art. However, this level of artistry does come at a cost, and hand-knotted rugs often have price tags of thousands of dollars. That isn’t so bad when you think of them as investment pieces. Properly cared for, they can last decades and frequently become family heirlooms, many even increasing in value over time.
Hand Tufted Rugs
Unlike hand-knotted rugs, where the structure of the rug is built as-you-go, hand-tufted rugs begin with a pre-made backing material of canvas or jute. Typically, the pattern of the rug is printed on this backing material. A worker is then able to use a hand-held tufting gun to push yarn through the backing material while following the pattern. These yarns are then held in place with another piece of fabric and glue. Because these yarns are not integrated into the structure of the rug like the knots of a hand-knotted rug, they are more likely to pull out. Compared to hand-knotted rugs, hand-tufted rugs can be made far more quickly and by less-skilled workers. While these types of rug are more prone to wear than hand-knotted rugs, they can be had for far cheaper as well.
