Want to buy a hand-knotted Turkish carpet? Want to know the difference between hand-knotted Turkish rugs and factory rugs? Our guide to hand-knotted Turkish rugs gives you the information you want.
Difference between Hand-knotted and factory Turkish carpets
Hand-knotted Turkish and other oriental carpets can be a great investment. If you want to buy a hand-knotted Turkish rug you have to be able to distinguish hand knotted carpets from factory carpets. There are two basic ways to tell the difference between hand-knotted Turkish carpets and factory rugs. Firstly, turn the corner of the Turkish carpet upside down to see if the rug is hand-knotted or machine made. Hand-knotted rugs will have slightly varying knot sizes as opposed to machine made carpets which are completely uniform. This is because hand-knotted Turkish carpets usually involve teams of three or four weavers working on one hand-knotted Turkish carpet together. Each weaver’s knot will differ in size slightly according to the amount of pressure they apply and tightness of the knot they tie. The other way to distinguish a hand-knotted Turkish carpet from a factory carpet is to look at the sides of the carpet: If they are slightly irregular in shape this is an indication that the carpet is a hand-knotted Turkish or oriental carpet. Factory carpets are made on machines that provide complete regularity of shape.
Hand-knotted Turkish carpets: Materials
Hand-knotted Turkish and oriental carpets are made of pure wool as opposed to factory carpets that use many chemically processed and dyed materials. This gives hand knotted Turkish carpets several advantages over factory made carpets and rugs. Wool is of better quality and insulates heat better than the material used in factory rugs. It is also a lot tougher so hand-knotted carpets tend to last much longer than factory rugs. Some hand-knotted Turkish rugs are made from silk and are usually very expensive.
Washing hand-knotted Turkish rugs
Hand-knotted wool rugs are also easier to clean as wool naturally repels dirt. Washing hand-knotted Turkish carpets is also easier because the water can move freely through the carpet which is not the case with factory carpets that use waterproof glues and acrylics.
Repairing hand-knotted Turkish carpets
Repairing hand-knotted Turkish and oriental carpets from burns and stains on specific areas is also much easier than with factory rugs. Hand-knotted Turkish carpets can easily be re knotted in the damaged area in a way that makes the repaired area of the hand knotted carpet indistinguishable from the rest.
