MANUFACTURING PROCESS

Better understanding the unique manufacturing process gives our customers a greater appreciation of the heirloom quality and value of their Ralo carpet.

Hand made rugs have been part of the Tibetan culture for hundreds of years. They are an integral part of the daily life and Buddhist practices of typical Tibetan households. These beautiful pieces are highly valued and are passed on from generation to generation. In olden times a young woman might spend months weaving a set to bring into her new home upon marriage.

Traditionally, these rugs are used for sitting or sleeping on, rather than walking on. That's why many antique rugs are about 3 feet by 6 feet in size; this size fits the raised banquets that function as both seating areas and beds in many Tibetan houses. Particularly fine weaving or patterns of an enlightened nature are used in monasteries and by Buddhist practitioners during seated meditation. There are also smaller rugs, sometimes called meditation rugs, which are the right size for one person to sit on.

In modern times, the rugs are made larger to accommodate use as floor carpets. New patterns and designs complement contemporary and traditional home decor.

Today, Tibetan rugs are handmade by Tibetan exiles in India and Nepal as well as people from the five Himalayan kingdoms. What makes authentic Tibetan textiles unique is the combination of traditional methods that has produced carpets lasting centuries and the premium quality of wool from Tibetan sheep living above 16,000 ft.

While the sheep are raised in Tibet, the wool is sold on the gray-market through age-old family and trading connections across the Himalayan border. All Ralo Tibetan carpets are manufactured by indigenous craftspeople using pure Tibetan wool in our workshops located in Nepal.

Because many manufacturers claim to make "Tibetan" carpets, the buyer must be aware of inauthentic products. Some weavers dilute the expensive Tibetan wool with inferior wool from other countries. Many Indian and Chinese companies make carpets in a similar style—often employing the cheapest mechanical methods—without using Tibetan materials or craftspeople. Many carpets on the market today were made with short-cuts to save time and money, and as a result they do not have the beauty and durability of traditionally manufactured rugs which will retain their value and even appreciate over time.

Making an authentic Tibetan carpet by traditional methods is an enormously labor intensive activity which yields a far superior product. Handwoven wool carpets commonly come in 3 densities: 60, 80, and 100 knots per square inch, with the higher count being more durable and incrementally more time consuming to weave.

Spinning the yarn.

Ralo carpets are made in a variety of densities to meet different customers' specific needs, but most of our fine carpets include 100 or more knots per inch.

In addition to the time for weaving, is the time to card and clean the wool, spin the yarn, dye the colored yarns, and finally trim the woven design.

Detailed weaving requires skill and attention and progresses slowly—a fine 9 x 12 foot carpet often represents 1,500 hours of labor.

As a practical matter, larger carpets are made by a team of weavers and other craftspeople over several weeks to months.

All Tibetan carpets have cotton "fringe" on the ends, this is the natural remaining ends of the weft threads once the carpet is cut off the loom. Since some customers prefer the look and practicality of a clean edge, the fringe is often folded underneath the rug, covered with a strip of canvas, and hand bound.

Wool samples (pompoms) in vegetable-based colors.

We employ a palette of over 300 yarn colors in the creation of our complete inventory of designs. The majority of these colors are authentic traditional tones made from plant and herb extracts and naturally occurring mineral colorants.

To meet the demands of contemporary customers for certain colors not found in natural dye compounds, we also use AZO-free Swiss Aniline dyes in specific contemporary designs.

Dyeing the yarn in small vats.

The important issue is less about natural vs. aniline dyes, but whether the dyes used are of good quality creating colors which are rich and lustrous, and if the overall effect of the color and design is pleasing and harmonious. We make carpets that range from exceptionally subtle gradations to boldly contrasting patterns, yet the results are always well balanced. Ralo carpets do not have the bright garish harshness, or the undesirable effect of one color "popping out" that many synthetic dyes produce.

All our yarn is dyed by hand in small batches.

The use of underage and child labor is a serious concern in many parts of the world. Many carpet manufacturers in developing countries exploit children for their inexpensive labor in situations where economic pressures often prevail over education needs and health concerns.

Tibet Carpet has never used children in the manufacture of our products, nor do we condone the practice common in the industry. We explicitly prohibit workers under the age of 18 in our workshops.

In our workshop communities, we support local education and health programs to help ensure a better quality of life for our workers' families and to keep their underage children out of the workplace. Additionally, we have founded a US-registered non-profit "Himalayan Health Initiative" to offer free health services to the needy in Nepal, India, and Tibet.