What is the Difference Between Hand-knotted and Hand-tufted Rugs?

Question: What is the Difference Between Hand-knotted and Hand-tufted Rugs?

Answer: While both hand-knotted and hand-tufted rugs are made by hand, the process is very different.

Hand-knotted Rugs:

Weaving a hand-knotted rug requires skill and time. The quality of a hand-knotted carpet is determined by the number of knots per square inch, and a higher density means better quality.

A complex pattern can require very dense knotting and it can take a long time to produce. An average weaver can tie about 10,000 knots per day. So you can imagine how long it can take to complete one rug. That accounts for hand-knotted rugs costing more.

Hand-tufted Rugs:

A hand tufted rug is made by punching strands of wool into a canvas which is stretched on a frame. This is accomplished with the help of a hand operated tool. This process is not very time intensive, and does not require the same level of skill that hand-knotting does.

After piling with wool, the rug is removed from the frame and a scrim fabric is glued to the back, while a fringe is added by either sewing on, or gluing.

Cost Differece:

A hand-tufted rug will generally cost less than a hand-knotted rug, because it is produced using a less labor and skill intensive process. A hand-knotted rug will also outlast a hand-tufted one.