Oriental Rugs......i'm Happy To Help.

[Robert Aigin]

I look forward to seeing them.

 

[Ayden James]

How can experts quickly tell if a rug is real or fake?

 

[Jamie Biles]

If their found in a skip

 

[Jacob Ward]

 

[Robert Aigin]

The large blue rug is machine made, no value.
The smaller one looks hand made but need better pics, close up of the back showing a corner with fringe and side cord.
Whatever it is, it also has no value to speak of.

 

[Robert Aigin]

How can experts quickly tell if a rug is real or fake?

It wouldn't take long to show you, but it's all to do with fringe, side cords, materials and knotting.
it isn't always easy from photos.
If you come and visit me with a machine-made rug, I will show you the difference and you will always know.

 

[Jamie Biles]

Don't keep us in suspense Robert,what's the most expensive rug you have ever seen in your respected career

 

[Robert Aigin]

I've seen rugs worth over 100k, but the most expensive one that I dealt with was around 50k.

 

[Simon Willard]

Is there a very obvious way to tell a machine made from handmade?

 

[Robert Aigin]

You look at the fringes and the side cords to start with. The side cords will have a machine made "line" on the back.
The hand-made will be uneven and will not have the line on the back.
Hand made rugs are always woven on the warp South to north. Machine made are usually but not always woven around the weft, west to east.
It's much easier to show than to describe, but look at Youtube I'm sure there will be video's showing it.

 

[Jamie Biles]

One thing always sticks with me over years is a 'machine' goes from weft to right.

 

[Robert Aigin]

 

[Simon Willard]

Hi Robert.
I have two of these. The other one is similar patterning but main colour is dark blue. They both came with a bronze/brass medallion attached, though the one on the red rug (pictured) is missing and the other is in storage.
Hoping you can give me a steer on how to treat them and an idea of value.
They're both approx 230 x 150 cms. I suspect they're pretty basic, but you never know.
Many thanks!

 

[Simon Willard]

I looked at the side cords and there appears to be a line stitch which would suggest it's machine-made? However, I did weft-test (pencil on a piece of paper) and it moves north to south, which suggests hand-made. I think. Maybe.

 

[Robert Aigin]

Hi Simon,
Well done, the side cord as you said has that line if stitching which indicates that it is machine-made. This is not true 100% of the time because sometimes damaged hand-made rugs have machined edges as a cheap repair.
You are also correct about the knots being woven north to south meaning they are knotted on the weft, but this means the rug is machine made as hand woven rugs the knots are tied around the warp.

I have no idea what the pencil and paper test is.

 

[Simon Willard]

Ah. Jacob at World of Clean showed us the pencil and paper test - piece of paper on the rug/carpet, roll a pencil on it and the paper will move in the direction of the pile. I think I'm conflating pile with weft though. Thanks for the info, guessing they're worth about tuppence then!

 

[Robert Aigin]

Unfortunately they're not worth anything.
The paper pencil test is not very useful.

 

[Jamie Biles]

Know paper/pencil for carpet wasn't aware same applies to rugs. Maybe it doesn't.