Distinguishing handmade oriental rugs, whether new or antique, from machine made carpets requires looking at both the front and back of the piece in question.
The patterns of handmade rugs are the same on the front and back and, even in the best grades, are never totally regular, whereas in machine-made goods there are no imperfections. The wool pile of machine made is drier, sparser, less resilient and harsher, never velvety or silky. The wool does not acquire a patina of age and the colors are dull and lack the richness of natural dyes.
The warps, those structural elements on which the pile knots are tied and which constitute the fringe, are oriented vertically. On mechanical copies the warps are horizontal. On machine made the fringe is always an addition, and not integral to the structure of the piece. The end finishes of fine handmade oriental rugs maybe elaborated into a decorative band depending on the rugs origin. Such ornamentation never appears on a copy. For Orientals locking fringes the end band may be limed under. Again, this does not appear on copies finally, the handle is different: a genuine oriental is firm, but not hold; flexible, but not flabby.
