Hand-tufted carpets, also known as Latex or Full Cut carpets look a lot like hand-knotted carpets but the difference between the two is noticed in the way they are both produced. A tufted oriental rug is made with the help of a tufting gun, which is a hand-operated tool. A tufted carpet does not require any special skill; on the other hand, a knotted carpet not only takes longer to complete but also requires skill in tying the knots neatly and correctly.
In order to make a high quality hand tufted rug, superior quality wool must be used. However, the quality of a hand-knotted rug is measured by the number of knots per square inch. Since latex glue is used to hold the “tufts” in place in case of a hand-tufted carpet, the rug is also termed as latex rug. People often consider these types of carpets as disposable because they do not require much labor or skill. However, they have some benefits of their own such as they are less costly than hand-knotted rugs and often retain their color even in high traffic areas.
Despite their benefits, tufted rugs if not made from high quality wool will wear out quickly. If you want to buy a tufted rug for your room then make sure you buy from a reputable company. High quality tufted rugs often cost almost the same as hand-knotted carpets from Persia or Turkey. Hand-knotted rugs make use of natural dye and therefore they do not drip color when wet. On the other hand, low quality tufted rugs may bleed and fade in color.
The above mentioned two types of carpets can also be compared with a third type of oriental rugs known as flat woven rugs. These types of rugs are light in weight and easy to care for. Normally they are used as show pieces and hung on walls instead of using as floor carpets. There are no knots in this type of rug and is therefore easier to construct than tufted or knotted rugs.
A hand knotted rug with a higher knot count indicates a high quality carpet which is durable and long lasting. Usually these carpets are rated from very coarse to extremely fine depending on the knot count. Extremely fine carpets contain more than 290 knots per square inch, whereas very coarse hand-knotted rugs consist of 30 or less knots per square inch.