You may notice a variety of different production techniques when looking for a new contemporary rug for your home. ‘Hand-knotted rugs’ and ‘hand-tufted rugs’ are two of the most common terms you’ll come across when looking for rugs to buy. Although they may appear to be similar at first glance, there are a few key differences. Let’s look at the differences between hand-knotted and hand-tufted rugs.
What is Difference Between Hand-Tufting and Machine-Tufting?
These days, hand-tufted rugs are more frequently seen on a daily basis. Hand tufting is a relatively new technique that combines the ancient craft of weaving with modern technology. Hand-tufting is accomplished by starting with a sheet of canvas or similar material and pulling wool strands through it with a tufting gun or tool.
The rug’s design is drawn on the back of this canvas backing, and the weavers fill in the design with yarn from the back as they weave the rug. The rug pile is built up over time by bringing the yarn strands in and out of the canvas base. The hand-tufted quality opens up endless possibilities and is ideal for projects that require precision, scale, and speed.
What is Definition of Hand-Knotting?
Hand-knotted rugs are also known as Oriental rugs. It’s a vertical loomed rug that’s entirely made by hand. Knotting is a 2,000-year-old weaving technique that necessitates incredible precision, patience, and craftsmanship.
The weaver must insert knots into the rug and tie each knot tightly by hand around the rug’s warp and weft. Many thousands of individual knots make up these rugs.
Producing a hand-knotted rug necessitates a high level of skill and, in many cases, a significant amount of time. The number of knots per square inch determines the quality and price of a hand-knotted rug.
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Hand-Knotted and Hand-Tufted Rugs have Different Characteristics.
Hand-Tufted Rugs
Hand-tufted rugs are less expensive to produce than hand-knotted rugs because they take less time to weave. That isn’t to say that hand-tufted rugs are of poor quality; far from it; these are still rugs made by hand with great care and attention – and are used in palaces and high-end interiors all over the world. Contract machine-made rugs lack the handcrafted craftsmanship involved in weaving, making them unremarkable – it’s like comparing a mug made in a factory and sold at Ikea to a mug handcrafted by a potter!
Hand-tufted rugs are long-lasting and wear well if properly cared for; they are best suited to domestic settings. They may not last indefinitely, which is a good thing if you like to redecorate your home every 7 to 10 years.
Heirloom Quality rugs are those that have been hand-knotted. They can last a lifetime due to their meticulous and durable rug construction. On the other hand, a Hand Knotted rug is more expensive than a hand-tufted rug; the price is determined by the number of knots used. Hand-knotted rugs are more durable than hand-tufted rugs, making them ideal for commercial settings with high foot traffic.
If you’re on a budget and can’t afford a hand-knotted rug, or if you want to buy multiple rugs to keep up with trends or enjoy changing up your decor, tufted rugs are a great option.
The price of a knotted rug isn’t the only factor that determines its worth. Hand knotted rugs come in a variety of styles, with the higher the knot count, the higher the quality. The number of knots in a rope can range from 40$ to 200$. (which is a tapestry liek quality). The higher the knot count, the longer the rug will take to weave and the more expensive it will be.
Tufted Rugs
Tufted rugs are also available in a variety of quality levels. Our rugs are made from a high-quality New Zealand wool tufted rug with long wool fibers at Arattica. Other rug sellers may use Nepalese or Tibetan wool in their rugs, which is a less expensive option but does not produce the vibrant colors that we can achieve with New Zealand wool and Swizz Azo-free dyes. Even if used on New Zealand wool, natural dyes cannot accomplish these colors and will fade.
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Differences in Aesthetics
So, how can you tell the difference between a Hand-Knotted and a Hand-Tufted rug by looking at them? There are a few key points to keep in mind.
The back of the rug would have to be the most obvious. A canvas backing will be glued to the back of a hand-tufted rug. The back of hand-knotted rugs will be a tapestry-style stitch translation of the front side of the rug. On the reverse side of hand knotted rugs, you can see each individual knot and count the knots per square inch.
Rugs that have been hand-tufted or hand-knotted
The thickness of the rug is the second thing to notice. Tufted rugs have a thicker pile, while knotted rugs have a flatter pile. If a low pile height is important to you – for example if the rug is in a hallway and a door must open on top of it – be sure to measure the clearance to help you decide which rug will work best! A knotted runner can be made as low as 4mm high, whereas a tufted rug can’t be made any lower than 10mm high due to the glue and canvas layer.
Hand-knotted or hand-tufted rugs
Hand Knotted rugs (top) and Hand Tufted rugs (bottom) have different pile heights (bottom)
People nowadays buy rugs for their design rather than the number of knots they contain. Tufted rugs are common in high-end art rugs. A rug’s value nowadays is based on its design and aesthetics as well as its quality.
Which rug is the best fit for me?
When it comes to rugs for the home, whether you choose a hand-tufted or hand-knotted rug is a matter of personal preference. Some distinctions should help you decide which type is best for you. Handtufted carpet is frequently less expensive. We recommend weighing your priorities before purchasing a contemporary rug. Design, thickness, production time, cost, or durability are all factors to consider. Hand-tufting is standard on all of our designs, as we found that our customers preferred this method of production. However, all of our designs can be hand-knotted, which is a great option for some of our clients who want a thinner rug, one for a high-traffic area, or one to pass down through the generations!
