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Rug Essentials - Buying Tips
Our products much like the clients we serve come from different parts of the world, which makes the buying process a crucial one. Surely, some useful tips on how to go about selecting a rug for yourself could be considered valuable in our opinion.
Now that we have established its importance, let us begin with handknotted rugs. Knowing your hand knotted rug in its various forms – quality, knot count, material, finishing, origin of designs etc. are critical factors which allow for a smooth purchase. While engaging in the process, we always advise our customers to ask the right questions. To make things easier for everyone, we have prepared a list of queries that must be attended to by any rug merchant selling hand knotted rugs:
What is the knot count?
Rug merchants everywhere will divulge this information in different ways, so it is imperative that a customer understands this reference properly. On most occasions, the knot count is shared in the form of knots per sq. inch, which essentially means the number of knots there are in one inch of a rug as you move both – vertically and horizontally, hence, the term square inch. Bear in mind, a higher knot count means two things – it allows for the motifs/ medallions in a rug to be as detailed as possible and it indicates a higher price. A good way to verify this information is by asking the seller for an inch scale to keep at the back of a carpet and measure the knot count.
What quality of materials have been used?
An extremely well-known fact, however, can mislead a lot of customers if they don’t know how to distinguish between natural fibres. Knowing your jute from your wool and your wool from your silk etc. is the key to understanding what materials have been used in making your rug.
Traditionally, real silk carpets are far more expensive than wool ones. In addition to this, it is important to know the source of the fibre, for instance, if the carpet is made from wool then one must inquire about the quality of the wool, where has it come from, how was it spun and dyed. This brings us to silk, as you all may have seen or read earlier, there are two varieties of silk used in making rugs. One is the real silk fibre extracted from natural sources while the other is artificial silk or bamboo silk made from chemical processes. Over the years and through industry abuse, we have seen the latter masquerade in the markets as real silk and so, we strictly advise all our clients to exercise caution. Carpets made from art silk are relatively cheaper than the ones produced with real silk and you’d surely be wise to remember the difference.
Where was it made and how was it finished?
Being able to identify the source of a rug’s production is truly the mark of a seasoned rug buyer. The regions of Agra and Jaipur are known for their vegetable dyed and oxidised style of rugs while the ones originating from the rural areas of Varanasi/ Bhadohi are more prominent for Persian designs such as Heriz, Tabriz, Herati etc. These are just a few examples that we want to share with all of you that’ll help in the entire process.
Lastly, while going through your selection of carpets/rugs, it is important to check for durability. For this we recommend testing the warp and weft to ensure they are of sound quality. All you need to do is fold the carpet from any chosen area where you can view the insides of the pile and give it a slight jerk. If you notice creaks in the carpet, the warp and weft maybe faulty or not of good quality. Also be sure to see the pile in detail whether yarn fibres shed upon being pulled gently.
