The easiest way to judge a handmade carpet's quality is to turn it over. On a genuine hand-knotted piece, the pattern on the back should be almost as crisp as the front — a blurry or fuzzy reverse usually means the rug was tufted, not knotted, and won't hold up the same way over time.
Knot count and what it actually tells you
Knot density is a real quality signal but not the whole story — a very high knot count on poor-quality wool is still a poor-quality rug. Feel the pile itself: good wool has a natural lanolin softness and a slight sheen, while dry, brittle fibres are a warning sign regardless of knot count.
Finally, check the fringe. On a real hand-knotted carpet, the fringe is the exposed end of the foundation threads, woven directly into the rug — not a strip sewn on afterward, which is a common shortcut on lower-quality reproductions.
