Why Are Hand-Knotted Rugs So Expensive?
Buying a rug, especially a hand-made rug, whether for your commercial or office space or for your house, is a major decision to make. Hand-made rugs are very expensive, but these rugs are, no doubt, a perfect choice for your space. But sometimes, you may find that the most luxurious-looking, desired and expensive rugs are not hand-knotted rugs. Now you might be wondering about what makes these rugs expensive? Well, keep reading to get your answer.
Hand-Knotted Rugs- Expensive but A Perfect Investment
Well, there are many reasons behind the high price tag that every hand-knotted rug comes with. For example, as the name suggests, hand-knotted beautiful rugs are created using unique weaving techniques that can greatly affect their texture, quality, price and design complexity. The overall feel, build, and design of such rugs are brought from weeks and days of labour by highly skilled and experienced craftsmen. Now, let’s discuss the facts that make them so expensive.
Material Used for Hand-Knotted Rugs
It is a fact that all hand-knotted rugs are made using the highest-quality materials. And the quality of materials utilized to make such rugs is generally very expensive as well as exclusive, for example. These rugs are commonly created using the finest quality, durable and unique silk, wool and other such materials. Wool is one of the primary and desired materials used to make hand-made rugs.
Wool-made rugs come with a very luxurious texture and provide you with a maximum level of underfoot comfort. Well, Silk hand-knotted rugs are also very expensive. Some rugs come with a combination of wool and silk fabric. Due to the materials used, you will find hand-knotted rugs are environmentally-friendly and sustainable. This is another reason why hand-made rugs are expensive.
The Methods of Manufacturing Rugs
You all know that any items that are hand-made and require human skills, expertise as well time will cost little more than machine-made items. Well, the same goes with hand-knotted rugs. To make such rugs, every knot is weaved individually using hands. Such rugs can only be created by master artisans or skilled weavers. On the other hand, these rugs are very durable and can last for years with little care. The experts make sure that all the knots are properly secured. The time taken to make a rug will vary based on the design complexity and size of the rugs.
The Knot Density
When buying rugs, most people ask the seller about the knot count or tightness of the weave. Well, such details are crucial when it comes to buying high-end or luxurious rugs, like hand-made ones. Remember that the more knots that a rug has, the more it will cost. Higher knots counts mean the rug will look more polished and shinier. You should keep in mind that all the knots are woven by hand, making hand-made rugs one-of-a-kind. Most hand-knotted rugs gave the KSPI- Knots Per Square Inch around 123 to 350.
Labour Cost Involved in Hand-Knotted Rugs
It is a fact that every hand-knotted rug is a perfect masterpiece on its own, as each piece will be different in every way. The reason behind this is that these rugs are created using the hands of an individual. That’s why making a hand-made rug is time as well as labour-intensive. Perfectly warping of high-quality yarns and tying the knots properly take days, months and sometimes years.
All the determination, influence, time and effort that has been invested in making a rug ask for a reward too, and that is in terms of the cost. The intricate details and hours of labour that go on to making a hand-made rug carry great importance. A high-premium or good-quality rug can last for years. Hand-made rugs from well-known households of the past, for example, the royalty, have become popular auction pieces. You can find hand-knotted rugs from the time of Napoleon that can go on sale for thousands of dollars.
Manufacture Region
Where your hand-knotted rugs come from is just as crucial to their making as their cost. For example, Persian rugs are generally created exclusively in villages located in the Persian region. Well, you may find similar design rugs at the lowest price, but remember that they are not genuine Persian rugs. These rugs will likely be manufactured in other regions. So, how to ensure that the rug you are buying is the original one? Well, the exclusivity related to genuine Persian rugs will come with a price.
Age of The Hand-Knotted Rugs
The process of making a hand-made rug is very long, as stated above, and is also very labour-intensive. The process of creating such rugs begins by properly dying the yarn, creating patterns and designs, weaving, stretching, clipping and finishing. Well, you can’t forget the specific or customary steps involved in the process.
Every process has a unique characteristic, and you can witness that by looking at the rugs. A well-made hand-knotted rug can last for years in good condition and can be passed through decades and generations. When there is a sale of such rugs, the level of wear and tear sign will greatly decide the price.
And the more the rug’s worth, the less sign of wear and tear it has. If you compare, you will find that the durability of a hand-knotted rug will be higher than machine-made rugs due to their material, build quality and other factors. That’s why these rugs are perfect for rooms or places with high foot traffic. So, each hand-made rug is highly valuable.
The Condition of The Rugs
If you are determined and want to buy a hand-made rug, you should remember that it is original and precious, like other pieces of popular artefacts you see in an auction and a museum. Natural materials, build, colours and knots all are combined together to manufacture a hand-knotted rug you want that will be a part of your life for the coming years.
One of the most common ways to detect whether the rug is really hand-made or not is by checking every variation that you can see from knot to knot. Besides, the hand-made rugs’ edges are also hand-woven. Such characteristics are some factors that will help you to differentiate genuine hand-knotted rugs from machine-made rugs in your local market.
Hand-made rugs grace the floor of different spaces such as commercial areas, offices, or homes, and you can easily maintain a stunning appearance of the space for years. One of the common points that will justify the high cost of such rugs can be accounted for as the rugs’ tendency to be perfect for your high-foot traffic areas. No matter what, the hand-knotted rugs’ condition will remain pristine as for the knots that make the rugs more enduring and reliable.
Should You Buy Hand-Knotted Rugs?
The answer is not all rugs are costly. Only the superior-quality rugs such as hand-knotted rugs made in wool and or skill utilizing natural dyes by skilled artisans who are paid reasonably in a good environment make for highly expensive rugs. Oriental and old Persian rugs or carpets can be more ancient and also higher than the value in the market.
The fact that beautiful hand-knotted rugs sell for thousands and millions of dollars depends on the luxury as well as durability factors. Once you apply, you will understand the true value of a hand-knotted rug and how it can take your interior to a whole new level. These rugs are unique, and paying more for one is worth it.
