Handmade or Machine-Made?

For a person who has never had any experience with oriental rugs, one of the biggest questions asked is "Is this rug handmade or machine-made?".  One of the quickest and easiest ways to tell the difference is to look at the back of the rug.  Look at the fringe; if the fringe looks like it was added on at the end, then you can be sure that the rug is machine-made.  Also, if the rug has no fringe, it means the rug was made by machine.  Fringe is a part of the composition of a handmade rug.  Therefore, if the fringe looks like a natural extension of the rug, this is a good indicator that it was made by hand.

Machine-Made:

Handmade:

Also, the stitches on the back of the rug make it easy to tell if the rug was made by a person or a machine.  If a person made the rug, the stitching will be slightly uneven; a machine, however, can make the stitching perfectly even.

Machine-Made:

Handmade:

Another way to tell the difference between machine-made and handmade rugs is the material used to weave the rug.  Natural fibers can indicate that the rug was either made by hand or by machine, but if the material is not natural, it was made by a machine.

What Should You Do with an Old Rug?

If you are moving and no longer have the space for your oriental rug, or if you have decided you just don't want your rug anymore, do not just leave it on the street for the next garbage pick-up.  Oriental rugs are a work of art, bring your rug to be appraised.  At Main Street Oriental Rugs, we are more than happy to look at your rug and appraise it for you.

If your rug is really dirty, don't get an appraisal until after it has been cleaned.  A dirty, old rug is just a dirty, old rug.  A common belief about rugs is the older the rug, the more valuable it will be.  This is not necessarily true.  If your rug is post WWII, it really just depends on the rug.  Either way, it is a good idea to get your rug professionally cleaned before getting it appraised.

Main Street Oriental Rugs

Since opening our doors in Ellicott City over a decade ago, Main Street Oriental Rugs has earned a reputation for offering excellent value on quality oriental rugs in the Baltimore, Annapolis, and Washington areas. We are committed to providing courteous and knowledgeable service to our customers.

As a direct-importer we are able to offer customers a fine selection of authentic oriental rugs at an excellent value. As we scour the world to bring you the best value in oriental rugs. Our unique collection rugs directly imported from Persia, Turkey, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and China is constantly evolving. We regularly find creative new designs, fresh color palettes, and exciting new styles, as well as heirloom antiques and one of a kind collectables.

We also do rug cleaning and rug repairs.  Visit our website for more details.  http://www.mainstreetorientalrugs.com/

Samples of our Collections:

Our products range from 2x3 4x6 6x9 8x10 and many other sizes.

We also sell Stair Runners: