Why Do Hand-Knotted Rugs Cost More?

by Christiana Thiessen January 19, 2020

This is an excellent question! I often have clients who wonder what is the difference between a vintage, hand-knotted rug and a machine made rug from a big box store? Is there even a difference?

Machine made rugs are mass-produced on giant "power looms" these looms are given patterns by computers and they then produced a perfectly uniform rug in a very short period of time from synthetic fibres.

Hand-knotted rugs on the other hand have had each knot painstakingly tied by hand by a real person. Their value is in the fact that they have taken months, or possibly years, to produce.

They also have value because:

They are unique. No two rugs made by hand will turn out exactly alike.
They are made to last. Hand-knotted rugs will last for generations. I've had rugs from the 1800's and that were in excellent condition.
They are made of quality materials. Usually wool or silk.

This video from Cityline explains more about what gives these rugs value and what to consider when purchasing one. To learn more about the differences of handmade rugs you can also check out this article.

Interested in adding a hand-knotted rug to your collection without the big price tag? At the bottom of this page you will see a "Send Me Discounts!" put your email address in and we will send you savings.