05 Dec Oriental Rug Looms and Tools

Last week we looked at some of the basic terms that buyers need to be aware of when shopping for an oriental rug. This week we’ll look at the parts of a rug loom—the device used to make the beautiful oriental rugs we all enjoy—and the tools that weavers commonly use.

A loom is basically a sturdy, wooden frame that holds the warp (vertical) strings taut while the weaver weaves the weft (horizontal) strings through and ties the knots. The warps are kept separated by a device in the middle called the heddle. The heddle spreads the warps far enough apart so that the weaver is able weave the wefts between them. The wefts are carried on small wooden tool called a shuttle which acts like a spool.

To tie the knots, the weaver uses a hooked knife, or gollab. The pieces of yarn are pushed through the warps by finger, and then caught on the other side of the rug and dragged back to the front using the hook on the gollab’s tip. Once the knot is tied, the weaver uses the blade of the gollab to cut the yarn.

After several rows of knots are tied across the width of the rug, the weaver uses a comb or beater to beat down the warps and rows of knots into a tight weave. After a strip of pile is close to an inch wide, the weaver cuts the knots of yarn with a set of scissors specially curved to cut flush with the face of the carpet.

At Steamer’s Carpet Care we recognize the extraordinary skill and experience it takes to make a beautiful oriental rug. That’s why we offer safe and low-moisture San Antonio oriental rug cleaning performed right in your home. Contact us today to set up an appointment.