Machine made rugs have made it possible for everyone to enjoy high quality rugs in their homes. Whether you would like a rug that has the same pattern as a hand-knotted rug or one that has the comfort of an oriental rug, you can find it in a machine made rug. Machine made rugs do differ slightly from handmade rugs, though. It’s important to learn about the differences between these two before purchasing your next rug.
Handmade Vs Machine
Long ago, handmade rugs were the only rugs that were made. Artisans spent months creating a single rug out of thousands of individual knots. Today, machines are able to create rugs at a much faster rate. However, there are a few key differences to keep in mind when deciding between hand-tufted and machine-made rugs.
Hand-Knotted Rugs Are More Durable
When comparing handmade vs machine, one cannot deny that handmade rugs are superior in durability. These rugs can last for hundreds of years and are often passed down in families as family heirlooms. This makes a hand-knotted rug an exceptional investment.
Handmade Rugs Are Unique
When machines mass produce wool rugs, they often make hundreds of the same rug. If you’re someone that prefers to have things that are one of a kind, a hand-knotted rug would be the only way to achieve this. Artisans spend countless hours weaving rugs that tell unique stories and represent original patterns. You can custom order a hand-knotted rug to make sure that you have a truly original piece.
Machine Made Rugs Allow For Synthetic Materials
It requires almost no effort from machines and power looms to weave together synthetic fibers to create gorgeous rugs from synthetic materials. Synthetic materials are more likely to be stain resistant. Rugs that are not made from natural materials can offer a unique appearance as well.
Handmade Rugs Made From Natural Materials Are Sustainable
Handmade rugs that are made from natural materials, such as sturdy wool and silk, are made from sustainable materials. The people on our planet are using resources that aren’t sustainable, and some day we will be out of them. That isn’t the case with most natural materials that handmade rugs are made from. Materials like sheep’s wool can easily be replaced.
Machine Made Rugs Are More Budget Friendly
Because these types of rugs are made quickly, they are often cheaper. A person can easily purchase machine made rugs for every room in their house without breaking the bank.
However, it’s important to remember that you often get what you pay for. It can be hard to find high quality machine made rugs. These rugs need to be replaced much more often than handmade rugs do.
Hand-knotted rugs, however, are much more expensive. You will instantly notice the difference in price when shopping. This is because weaving knots can take months. The higher the knot count, the more expensive the rug is. These rugs often last for generations, though. This can make the high price well worth it.
Handmade Rugs Are More Natural
Hand-knotted rugs are comprised of a quality wool blend or other natural materials. They do not contain glue and adhesives like machine made rugs do. (This is often why hand knotted rugs last longer.) This means that you will be bringing fewer toxic materials into your home when you opt for a hand knotted rug instead of a machine made one.
Creative Designs Are Seen More On Handmade Rugs
While machine made rugs do offer gorgeous oriental rug designs, they simply do not offer the same creative design that artisans do. This is because rugs are crafted in their mind, and then patiently woven into real life. Oriental designs are always one of a kind. Modern design elements can be used to tell a story. Artisans show their skill and creative ideas through the entire process, and it is seen in the finished product.
How To Tell If Rugs Are Machine Made
Because hand knotted rugs are sold at a higher price than machine rugs, there are a lot of businesses that attempt to sell machine made rugs for the price of handmade rugs. There are a few things that you need to know to make sure that you are not paying a higher price than what your rug is worth.
Hand-Tufted Does Not Mean Handmade
Because the word hand-tufted implies that a rug is handmade, manufacturers often charge a hirer price for these. They are actually made using a tufting machine. These rugs are mass produced just as other machine made rugs are.
Pay Attention To The Back Of The Rug
When a rug is made with a machine, it often requires a certain type of backing. Handmade rugs do not have this same backing. A machine rug may also appear slightly lighter or have a different pattern on the back. A handmade rug, however, will appear the same on the front and back of the rug.
Look At The Fringes
A key way to determine if a rug is made from a machine or handmade is to look at the fringes on the end of the rug. A machine made rug will have a spot where the fringes are sewn into the rug. A hand knotted rug will not. This is because hand-knotted rugs have fringes that are made from the edge of the string that is being used to make knots. If rugs are made on a machine, the fringes are made separately, and then they are attached to the rug.
Making sure that you pay the right price for a high quality rug is important. An easy way to do this is to simply browse our collection of rugs. You’ll find beautiful designs made by highly skilled artisans. Browse through our One of a Kind collection today to find a modern rug for your home.