Exquisite Tibetan highland wool is sheared, carded, spun, dyed, woven, and knotted by hand. Each carpet is unique, stuffed with the individuality inherent in being entirely hand-crafted by expert artisans using traditional techniques, which are virtually unchanged from time beyond memory.
We also use 100% Chinese Silk and Mongolian cashmere to produce a variety of silk/wool and cashmere/wool carpets, extremely soft to the touch with a unique lustrous finish.
HAND KNOTTED
Rugs as beautiful heirloom pieces that can last for generations and can be used either on the floor or as a wall hanging. The back of hand-knotted rugs will be an exact mirror image of the top pile of the rug.
Weaving is carried out by hand using the traditional Tibetan knotting style on a vertical loom. The continuous knot is selected by our weavers to achieve the highest possible detail from the wool, boasting a minimum of 100 knots per inch in each design.
Wool is regarded as the strongest, most resilient rug fiber. The technique of hand-knotting is one the most durable ways to make a carpet. When properly cared for, fine wool rugs can last a lifetime.
HAND TUFTED
The hand-tufted method is one of the most popular techniques to make a carpet. It entails tracing the design onto a fabric which has been stretched tight across a frame. This frame becomes the primary backing into which the yarn is fired through using a small tufting gun to punch the design.
Carving by hand using scissors may be required, depending on the type of carpet. Light carving helps keep changes between colors nice and sharp. Deeper carving helps provide a more sculptured appearance.
Completion of a tufted rug requires less time than a hand-knotted one, making for a more affordable item while using the same materials and still achieving a high quality finish.
UNDER RELIEF TRIMMING
Under relief designs and patterns are carved out by using scissors to cut very finely into the woven rugs. It is a very delicate process because one false cut can ruin the whole rug.
THE FINISHING PROCESS
Hand-carving a carpet requires skill and precision. It helps give the rug definition and texture. The process is essentially the same for hand-knotted as for hand-tufted carpets.
Upon completing the weaving, each rug is trimmed and carved by hand with shears before being stretched, washed, and inspected by the master weaver at our workshop outside Kathmandu. It is then shipped worldwide.
GOODWEAVE FOUNDATION
JT. Pfeiffer is a full member of Goodweave Foundation. Each one of our rugs comes with a certified label in the back. This is the best assurance that no child was exploited to make a rug and that other sustainable production practices were used.
Goodweave works to end child labor in the carpet industry and offers educational opportunities to children in weaving communities in India, Nepal and Afghanistan. It is the only organization working in carpet communities that rescues children from labor and provides them long-term support. It also offers third-party assurance of transparency, confidentiality, and internationally accepted verification systems to participating companies.