How are rugs made? Why prefer handmade rugs to machine-made rugs? How to tell difference between handmade and machine made rug? Surely, you've heard over and over again what are the differences between machine-made rugs and handmade rugs and the description of the superiority of the former, but let's see in this post why it's better to prefer a nice handicraft rug.
Machine made vs handmade rugs: the differences
The handmade rug is created on a manual loom, set based on the dimensions of the rug that the craftsman wants to create and the most widespread manufacturing techniques for the creation of handmade rugs are: hand-knotted rug, flat-woven rug, and hand-tufted rug.
Why to choose a handmade rug
Moreover, unlike the machine-made and mass-produced rug, each handmade rug is 100% unique and you could never find two similar rugs on the market. Let's now see in detail how to distinguish between handmade rugs and machine-made rugs. Certainly a handmade rug, specifically because of its craftsmanship, will present structural imperfections, which yet must not be seen as a defect, but as a characteristic that attests the manual processing of the latter.
For this reason, those looking for collectibles will certainly focus on handmade rugs, rather than buying a "series" one.
Another difference between machine-made rugs and handmade rugs is the price since an industrial carpet costs much less even if the durability is lower. Based on the fibers used, a machine-made rug can last for 20 years or less, while the handmade rug, if well maintained, lasts for decades. Ultimately, the machine-made carpet is worthless for collectors, even if certain brands make industrial rugs with design and quality almost equal to those handmade.
Now that you have seen the main differences between the handmade rug and the machine-made rug, let's see why to choose the first one when you want to buy a carpet to decorate your home. Many reasons make the handmade rug the ideal choice and among these, we remember:
- higher durability of handmade rugs;
- characteristics of a true work of art, created with passion and creativity;
- testimony of the history of craftsmanship and its skills, transmitted from generation to generation, from father to son;
- possibility to purchase a single piece, since no rug will be the same as another;
- enhancement of the work of man and craftsman, who puts all his skills in the creation of the rug;
- presence of imperfections, which give the rug a unique character;
- superior quality materials for the creation of the handmade rug compared to the industrial ones.
In addition to this, the advice is to choose a handmade carpet if you are looking for not only a decorative element for your home but also an object to invest in.
Additional advantages of the handmade carpet over the industrial carpet
In addition to the benefits listed above, purchasing a handmade carpet will support a green and sustainable industry, given that the handmade rugs are made with eco-sustainable materials, such as wool or silk and colored with vegetable pigments. Over the years, viscose and bamboo silk have been added to these raw materials, as well as cellulose-based textile fibers, but these are always materials that respect the environment. The result is a sustainable, long-lasting, and biodegradable product.
Besides, handmade rugs are also easy to clean and maintain their colors and beauty over time, much more than industrial ones.
Summing-up, if you want to support the creativity and work of the craftsmen, our advice is to prefer a handmade rug over the machine-made rug. Although it is more expensive, there are many advantages that this choice offers, as you read in this post, and in addition to a decorative element, you can also count on an excellent investment in the long run.
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