Got Questions? Ask fred the rug man
Kaoud Carpets FAQ
How do I know a quality handmade rug?
A quality rug should possess the following attributes: good wool, tight weave, vivid colors and good design layout. Often people only look at the weave or “knots per square inch” and ignore the materials used. This is not 100% accurate since the quality of the wool or silk is just as important, if not more, than the weave.
How does Kaoud Carpets & Rugs insure consistent quality in their rugs?
Fred Kaoud is our buyer and he monitors our overseas looms. Kaoud Carpets & Rugs has looms set-up overseas and our weavers know what materials we desire. They also know that if they “cheat” at all, we will reject the rug and they will have to weave another one.Our weavers have been providing our family and yours with top quality area rugs for over 60 years.
What is the story with going out of business and liquidation sales?
You get what you pay for! These so called sales are a way for people to sell rugs that have been rejected by dealers like Kaoud. Most of the rugs have a problem and their value is considerably less than if they were without the problem. Beware of these going out of business sales and auctions since what you buy cannot be returned if you discover something wrong with it. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is! One very important thing to know about these sales is that often people will try to sell a rug based on it being silk when it actually is not. Also, always buy from a reputable dealer who has all area rugs marked with prices.
What about all the huge discounts advertised for 60%, 70% and 80% off?
Common sense always tells us that regardless of the item in question, if the retailer can always discount it 70% or more, then something is wrong with the tag price. Kaoud Carpets & Rugs has all their rugs clearly marked with prices and holds four large sales a year where we discount up to 60% on either discontinued items or overstocks. Throughout the year, we price realistically and discount realistically. The bottom line is what counts and the wise consumer should not be attracted to “inflated” discounts all year long or drastic discounts of ticketed pricing.
In summary, where is the best place to buy a handmade rug?
Of course, we consider Kaoud to be one of the better places, but there are other retailers who should be considered in your search. It is best to make sure the retailer is established, reputable and not one that makes a habit out of changing names or holding “liquidation” sales. Ask people in your area and perhaps the local chamber of commerce. And most importantly, make sure the retailer you deal with has all their rugs marked with relevant information about the rug and prices.
What is a good rule of thumb when looking at different rugs and their quality?
First of all, feel the wool. The softer it is, the finer it is. Kaoud Carpets & Rugs are mostly woven using 100% New Zealand wool which is considered some of the finest wool available. Secondly, feel the density of the pile. The harder it is to separate the wool, the better your rug will look over time as it will resist wear and matting. The rug must also be attractive and the colors should flow together peacefully.
Which country makes the best rugs?
If this question was asked twenty years ago, the answer would be Iran.Since then though, India , Pakistan , China and Turkey have far exceeded quality standards and are now making exceptional qualities after learning the trade from Persian weavers. It is not dependent on the country, but rather on each individual rug. Each country makes various levels of quality workmanship.
Why Wool?
RECYCLABLE
Wool carpets can be recycled at the end of their useful life in a number of interesting ways. Wool carpets are naturally durable so they can be re-formed and re-used as decorative area rugs. Wool pile from old carpets, along with waste wool from the manufacturing process, can be used in environmentally-friendly insulation products. Discarded wool carpet can be cut into strips and used to protect newly planted trees and to prevent erosion and soil loss. The slow breakdown of wool provides rich nutrients and mulch to nourish the saplings and promote faster growth.
BIODEGRADABLE
Under the right conditions, wool is totally biodegradable. Wool is made up of natural amino acid chains, which are often referred to as “the building blocks of life”. As wool bio-degrades, rich, essential plant nutrients are released such as potassium, nitrogen and phosphorous. Even if a wool carpet is placed in landfill, it will decompose leaving no harmful residues.
RENEWABLE
Wool is the ultimate renewable fiber – it grows continuously on a sheep’s back all year round. During summer, the wool from New Zealand sheep is removed (sheared) by skilled craftsmen and the sheep return to their pasture. At the end of its useful life, the pile from wool carpet can be returned to the ground, where the nutrients released as it decomposes promote further grass growth, and the natural production cycle starts all over again.
How long do oriental rugs last?
With proper vacuuming and hand washing by a professional such as Kaouds, your hand knotted rug will last a lifetime – it is important to note that maintenance is recommended to keep the rug in the best shape possible,.
We also recommend rotating the rug in the room to obtain an even wear pattern and light penetration.
Art of Rug Making
Dye-ing of the wool/silk
The weavers buy the required wool or silk. This material goes through a dye-ing process based on the amount of colors in the rug. The batches of wool/silk are dyed and then hung to dry.
Designing
We work together with our overseas designers to produce the designs we desire. These designers graph out the pattern for the weavers with very detailed sections of design and color; noting each intricate change in the design as well as the color.
Weaving
The weavers sit at the loom with the balls of the individually dyed wool hanging overhead. Generally, a room size rug will have about three weavers sitting on the loom. With graph by their side, the weavers begin to pull down the wool from above and tie it around the foundation. They weave from left to right and after each piece of wool is hand tied, they clip it and move to the next. After several rows of knot tying, the weavers pack down the wool with a metal tool in the shape of a curved brush. This packing does two things: first, it assures the weavers that the knots are tight against each other and secondly, since the tool is curved at an angle, this gives the pile of the rug an angle. The result of this can be seen when the rug is complete: there is a dark and a light side to the rug. When looking at the tips of the wool, we see the dark side and the back of the wool is the light side of the rug. It is a similar idea to velvet. Once the weavers are finished weaving a rug, they have an extension of the foundation on top and at the bottom of the loom. This is where they cut and take the rug down. The result of where they cut is what determines the length of the fringe, since the fringe is actually a part of the rug.
Clipping
Once the rug is off the loom, the pile is at various heights and now it goes through the clipping process. People actually get on their hands and knees and start clipping the pile several times until they are satisfied with the feel, making the pile as even as possible.
Loom
The loom is what the rug is woven on. It consists of a wooden structure with a grid of cotton. The cotton becomes the foundation of the rug. The “warp” is the cotton that runs vertically on the loom and the “weft” is the one that runs horizontally. The warp and weft together create a grid of cotton on which each strand of wool is tied around.
Washing
Once clipped, the rug is now ready for wash. The rug is hosed down with water and this is a good test for the colorfastness of the dyes. Once wet, the rug is then scrubbed with soap and water and a scrub brush and then hung to dry in the sunday. Depending on the complexity of the weave and the size of the rug, the time to completion can be anywhere from 6 months to up to 3 years.