How to tell a hand-knotted rug from a machine-made one

Turn it over

The back of a hand-knotted rug shows the design clearly, with small irregularities in each knot row. Machine-made rugs often have a very even grid, a stiff backing or a latex coating.

Look for knots that vary slightly in size and colour lines that wander a little. Perfect regularity is a warning sign, not a guarantee of quality.

Check the fringe

On a hand-knotted rug the fringe is the end of the warp threads, which run through the whole piece. A fringe that is sewn or glued on as a separate strip usually points to machine production.

Look at the side cords

Hand-finished sides (selvedges) are overcast by hand and can be a little uneven. Machine edges are bound with a very even, tight stitch along the full length.

Fold back the pile

Bend the rug along a row. On a hand-knotted piece you can see individual knots gripping the warps at the base of the pile. Tufted rugs show loops pushed through a backing cloth, with no knots.

• Irregular back: likely hand-knotted
• Sewn-on fringe: likely machine or tufted
• Latex or cloth backing: tufted
• Very even edges: likely machine

What these checks cannot tell you

These checks separate hand-knotted from machine work. They do not prove where a rug was made or how old it is. Hand-knotted rugs are made in many countries, so origin claims need documents or specialist study.