Hand-tufted rugs use high-quality wool, so the end product looks very similar to a hand-knotted rug. Unlike hand-knotted rugs, hand-tufted rugs are made without tying knots. Producing a hand-tufted rug takes a fraction of the time, thereby significantly reducing costs. Therefore, hand-tufted rugs are significantly more affordable rugs compared to hand-knotted rugs.
How are hand tufted carpets made?
Hand-tufted rugs are made with a tool called a tufting gun. The tufting gun essentially tufts the twisted strand of fibers into a canvas to form a carpet pile. It begins with a canvas stretched tightly against a metal frame. The design of the rug is first drawn on the canvas, which serves as a template for the rug maker. The carpet maker then punches the wool threads into the canvas with the tufting gun. This process is quite quick and easy as the tufting gun is a motorized tool. The carpet maker must be sufficiently trained to punch the strands of wool into the marked areas, otherwise the process is fairly straightforward. Since the thread is now punched into the canvas and not knotted in it, a thick layer of glue is applied to the back of the canvas to hold the thread in place. Another layer of fiber is also used to cover the applied adhesive. The carpet pile appears very consistent or even and flat to the touch since it is essentially tool or machine tufted. Also note that the twisted thread is mostly machine spun and not hand spun. This is done to ensure smooth operation of the “tufting gun”, which can only work if the strand is regular and smooth. The finished product is a tufted carpet that is perfectly compatible and clean to the touch. It can withstand heavy traffic.
Advantages of hand-tufted carpets
Hand-tufted rugs are much cheaper compared to hand-knotted rugs.
Hand-tufted rugs are extremely durable as they are made from the same quality of cotton and wool as hand-knotted rugs.
Hand-tufted rugs look much the same as hand-knotted rugs from the front.
Disadvantages of hand-tufted carpets
Hand-tufted rugs are not considered collectibles.
