hand tufted vs hand knotted rugs

Comparison Between Hand Tufted Vs Hand Knotted Rugs Vs Machine made

In case you are new to carpets, it could be challenging to distinguish between the three styles out there. With a few rug styles becoming more valuable and desired than others, you must be in a position to distinguish among them.

The three different types of rugs include:

  • Hand-knotted
  • Hand-tufted
  • Machine-made

As you move down, we’ll glance at each rug kind, know the variations in each, so that its easy to tell what rug you are looking at.

Easy Table Guide Below

Hand-knotted Vs Hand-woven

Some rugs like the hand tufted and flatweave do not fall under the category of hand-knotted. Why? It is because these rugs are handmade but not knotted.

The fundamental difference between hand-woven vs hand knotted is that – every hand knotted carpet can be a hand-woven, but not every hand-woven rug is a hand-knotted one.

Hand Tufted

The hand-tufted rugs are those created without tying any knot. Preferably, a tufting gun pins strands of fiber into a frame of cotton cloth. Unlike a hand-knotted area rug, hand-tufted take less time to produce, hence significantly reducing the production cost. As a consequence, tufted carpets and runners are quite affordable.

Hand tufted wool rugs made in India are the most popular and are the most manufactured rugs of all in quantity than all the others. Faisal International produces these famous hand-tufted carpets from plain and simple designs to living figures and very high-end tufted.

So are hand-tufted wool rugs soft? Are hand-tufted rugs durable? Yes, of course, they are soft and durable as well. Faisal International uses high-quality New Zealand wool, semi-worsted wool, and Indian wool as well; they are soft and reliable. The other, more delicate rug fibers we use are bamboo silk, viscose, and others.

In our current hand-tufted rug production, the blend of wool and silk is entirely in the trend.

Hand-tufted carpets have various designs and patterns and provide more choices from the lot. There are printed tufted rugs, contemporary designs, and traditional Persian designs.

Modern Hand-tufted

Contemporary tufted rugs are the trendy evergoing patterns amongst the hand tufts. These rugs are designed primarily in geometrical patterns.

Persian Hand-tufted

Hand-tufted Persian rugs are a great substitute to hand-knotted Persian rugs. These Oriental made rugs are not only elegant, but they are also low-priced compared to the knotted rugs.

The table at the end of the page shows 11 differences including how long do hand-tufted rugs last and hand tufted wool rug shedding.

Hand-Knotted Rugs

Knotted area rugs are one of the most appreciated and demanded rugs in the world of flooring. Unfortunately, they are very inexpensive, and not everyone can afford these royal rugs. If you love Persian rugs but are unwilling to spend much on it, then a Persian hand-tufted rug is all for you.

Machine-Made Rugs

Machine-made rugs are incredibly inexpensive, low attempt rugs. They get developed on large machines known as power-looms. The machine wraps fibers together individually. These rugs fringes do not occur naturally but instead sewn to mimic a knotted rug.

Depending upon the characteristic of fiber usage, they will often only last about 15-20. Machine-made carpets are effortlessly replaceable and made easily and quickly. They aren’t considered artwork and usually don’t have any real price.

Shedding In Rugs

Shedding of fiber in a rug is not often an issue with all handmade area rugs. Nevertheless, this is not something to bother about as it happens with them. The newer the carpet, the more the shedding is visible in them, but it reduces with time as they get older.

The weaving methods of rugs does impact on the amount of shedding the carpet will have.

Click to learn everything about shedding in wool rugs, minimize their shedding and take care of them.

11 Difference Between Hand Tufted Vs Hand Knotted Rugs Vs Machine Made

Tufted, knotted and machine made rugs vary broadly from their weaving techniques to washing.

The three have their cons and pros. You can prefer one over the other based on their durability, usage area, and affordability. Let’s look at the comparisons table below to understand them with ease.

HAND KNOTTEDHAND TUFTEDMACHINE MADE
Weaving TechniqueThey are completely hand woven. The human hands tie each knot.They are partially handmade. Uses a tufting tool called a tufting gun.Runs on power-loom. Designs develop automatically as pre-defined.
Lead TimeTakes 4-7 months to knot a regular size rug and is labor intensive.The tufts take far less time in weaving. It may take 25 years to finish tufting a regular rug size.The machine made takes the least time to complete its rug weaving.
MaterialsSilk, wool, silk & wool
(bamboo silk, viscose).		Silk, wool, silk & wool.Synthetic fibers (polypropylene, polyester, nylon).
SheddingShedding is next to nothing. Do not pull loose threads, trim with a scissor.More during the early days but lessen and stops with time.No shedding but a cut can begin to fasten out the web fiber gradually.
FringesEvery knotted rug has fringes. Sometimes unseen as are bound behind. Do not have natural fringes. Some come glued separately. Fringes are machine sewn at the end, but it doesn't help to hold the rug together.
DurabilityHighly durable. Hand knotted rugs are the most durable rugs, hence the most expensive too.
Durable up till generations.		Comparably less durable. Unlike knotted, the fiber is not tied to the foundation of the rug.
Durable up till 5-10 years.		Less durable. The plastic nature tends to break after a few bends.
Durable up till 15-20 years.
TrafficSuitable for high traffic areas.Suitable for medium foot traffic areas.Suitable for high traffic areas.
BacksideThe back mirrors the design on the front side of the rug.There is a sheet of cloth backing clued to hold the wool to the rug.Has a plastic look and feel from the back.
CostExpensive as labour cost and the raw materials used are costly.Inexpensive compared to knotted carpets as it takes less time in weaving.Cheaper, as machines eliminate the labor cost, and synthetic fibers are cheaper.
WashKnotted rugs need professional washing at least once a year.Avoid wet-wash due to its latex backing. Easily washable at home.
QualityHeirloom quality. The quality can be determined by counting no. of knots at the back of the rug.Not of a heirloom quality. Only the density of the fiber can determine quality.They may/may not have a pile height. Quality cannot be determined.