What you’re watching is an instructional video on how to
count kpsi. KPSI stands for Knots Per
Square Inch, which is one of multiple qualitative measures used by those in the
Rug Industry. This is done by inspecting
the reverse side of an oriental rug, and physically counting knot density in
one square inch.
In order to count KPSI you’ll need several things. A hand knotted rug, possibly a pen or pencil
to help count fine pieces, and a US quarter or ruler. KPSI should really an average measure from two
or more areas averaged together located closer to the center of a rug.
However for purposes of this video, we’ve isolated just one for quick demonstration.
We take a close look at three pieces to count KPSI. The first is a Mohajeran Sarouk, from just after the turn of 1900. The second rug is a Caucasian piece, probably
from the fourth quarter, 19th century. The last piece is a curveball piece: A mature semi-antique kerman rug just under 100 years old.
We used a quarter in this demonstration for 2 reasons.
First, they’re convenient. Secondly,
they measure just a fraction under an inch.
When measuring KPSI, it’s best to lean toward the conservative side. You may also notice you have to bump the
count up because one knot may lay half on or off the area you’re measuring.
It’s important to note that higher knot count does not
necessarily reflect higher quality.
Although for this video we use much older rugs, knot count is really
more for assessing newer, commercially available rugs. Qualities of rugs are based on many, many
factors which can be researched on the main Rug Rag site.
