Machine-Made Silk Carpets: A Complete Guide

 

What Does “Silk” Mean in a Machine-Made Carpet?

When you hear “silk carpet” in the machine-made world, it doesn’t mean real silk. No company weaves machine carpets from natural silk today. Instead, what’s called a “silk-style carpet” uses faux-silk fibers such as viscose (rayon), modal, or bamboo silk. These materials are chosen because they mimic the softness, sheen, and elegance of natural silk—but without the cost or fragility فرش محتشمCarpet webshop - CarpetDepo.

Common Weaving Standards

Machine-made silk-style carpets are typically woven using high-precision looms like the Vandewiele HCiX2, which produce clean, fine textures ideal for mimicking hand-knotted silk modernios.techVandewiele Weaving. Most often, these carpets are produced as 1200 or 1500 reeds. Among these, the 1500-reed density offers a much closer feel and detail to traditional hand-knotted silk rugs.

The Finishing Process: Completing the Silk Illusion

After weaving, these carpets are sent to Qom—known for its finishing traditions. There, each piece undergoes hand-applied starch (āhār), washing, and meticulous finishing. This manual process can take up to a month, which is why lead times for “silk-style” machine-made carpets are longer than typical ones.

Cost Variations Within Silk-Style Machine Carpets

These carpets may differ in fringe material and finishing:

  • Premium version: Features natural silk fringe and zigzag edging (hand-applied), offering both aesthetic elegance and WYSIWYG value.

  • Standard version: Uses non-silk fringe for affordability while maintaining the viscose or bamboo body.

Emerging Trend: Acrylic-Viscose Blend Carpets

A growing innovation in the market is acrylic-viscose blend carpets, where the pile is a 50-50 mix of acrylic and viscose fibers. This fusion combines the resilience of acrylic with the spectacular shine and smooth texture of viscose. Toos Mashhad Carpet has recently started producing this blend, adding both practicality and beauty to their silk-style offerings.

Why Choose Toos Mashhad for Silk-Style Machine Carpets?

Toos Mashhad stands out in this niche category for several compelling reasons:

  • Capability to weave 1500 reeds with enhanced detail and softness

  • Use of Vandewiele HCiX2 looms for high-fidelity texture

  • In-house samples displayed in the showroom for a tactile decision-making experience

  • Expertise in both premium (real silk fringe) and value versions

  • Newly introduced acrylic-viscose blends to offer a balance of luxury and durability


Summary of Key Features

Feature Description
Fiber Types Viscose, bamboo silk, modal—imitate silk's sheen and softness
Loom Technology Vandewiele HCiX2 for ultra-fine weaving detail
Reed Density 1200 or 1500 reeds; 1500 provides more silk-like appearance
Finishing Process Hand starching and washing in Qom, requiring about a month
Fringe Variants Silk fringe (premium) or non-silk (standard)
New Blend Option Acrylic-viscose 50-50 for durability with shine
Toos Mashhad Advantages High density weaving, showroom samples, blend innovation