Posted on June 2, 2015 by Behnam Rugs

What to do if the Persian Rug You Bought Isn’t Handmade

If you’ve just purchased a Persian or Oriental rug, you undoubtedly want to show it to your friends and family. You have them over and show it on your floor. And then one of them – someone whose knowledge of rugs you trust – inspects your rug and tells you gently that it’s not a hand-knotted rug.

“What does that mean?” you ask. “How can it not be a hand-knotted Persian rug?”

And then your friend explains that it’s a machine-made rug and he knows so because he noticed the knots on the underside of the rug you purchased are too uniform to be hand-knotted because the weaving and the knots of a hand-knotted rug will be slightly inconsistent and uneven. What’s more, the designs of hand-knotted rugs are very detailed – almost as clear and detailed as on the front. But your rug’s design isn’t very clear on the back.

Now, many machine-made Persian rugs are very beautiful. They can be of great quality and can last for 20 years or more. (In fact, the Karastan brand of rugs is very well regarded. But this brand is made in the U.S. Still, a Karastan brand rug is of very good design and quality.)

As beautiful and well-made as a machine-made rug can be, it is not coveted by collectors. If you had believed your rug would appreciate in value over the years – as many genuine, hand-knotted rugs do — you would be wrong.

So now what do you do?

If purchased from a dealer, you can take the rug back and discuss the situation with the dealer. The dealer may say that you misunderstood what constitutes a hand-knotted vs. a machine-made Persian rug. He could say that he was honest with you and never said it was a hand-knotted rug (hand-knotted rugs tend to be much more expensive than machine-made rugs).

The dealer may or may not agree to give you a refund or trade the rug for another (especially if it’s been a while since you purchased the rug and it’s showing some wear – even honest rug dealers may not back rugs that show wear).

You may just need to enjoy the rug you purchased – many machine-made Persian and Oriental rugs are beautiful.

But the scenario described above is an important reason for you to do your research before purchasing a rug. Study what constitutes a hand-knotted rug from a machine-made rug. Take a look at rugs you know are hand-knotted and compare them to machine-made rugs so you can tell the difference.

If looking for a Persian or Oriental rug in the Dallas region, visit the Behnam Rugs showroom. We’re happy to show you the difference between hand-knotted and machine-made rugs and we look forward to educating you in the history and quality of a fine, hand-knotted Persian or Oriental rug. Contact us at 972-733-4000.