Knots and Line Counts
The knot or line count is a measurement of the density of the knots that make up the rug’s pile. Generally speaking, the higher the knot count, the higher the quality of the rug. This, however, is not an absolute rule. There are other significant factors that will also affect the overall quality and aesthetic appeal of a particular rug. These include the skill with which a given design has been executed, the balance and subtlety of the color palette, the quality of the wool, and various finishing details.
The line count method is primarily used for Chinese rugs. The number of lines of knots per linear foot determines the line count. Qualities range from 50 to over 300 lines per foot.
Rugs made in India are described by a somewhat more complicated method. A rug may be referred to as a nine-sixty (9/60). The 9 refers to the number of knots for every 9/10ths of an inch in width, and the 60 refers to the number of knots for every 41/2 inches in length. In effect, a 9/60 construction would yield 135 knots per square inch.
Whatever the count, you can readily see the density of the knotting of a rug by looking at the back of the piece. Each knot shows itself as a single square on the back of the rug. Here, the difference between a 90-line and a 120-line is usually readily apparent, since the knots in the 90-line rug are much larger and hence less densely packed.One further note may be useful. Tufted rugs are not given specific knot counts. However, for comparative purposes, their pile densities are sometimes given a sort of "benchmark" number. For instance, a well-constructed, densely-piled tufted rug might be said to be comparable to a 120-line knotted rug.
Handmade Rug Knot Count Chart
| Chinese Rugs | ||||
| Term | Knots per foot of width |
Knots per foot of length |
Knots per square inch |
Knots per square foot |
| 65 Line | 65 | 65 | 29 | 4,225 |
| 70 Line | 70 | 70 | 34 | 4,900 |
| 80 Line | 80 | 80 | 44 | 6,400 |
| 90 Line | 90 | 90 | 56 | 8,100 |
| 120 Line | 120 | 120 | 100 | 14,400 |
| 160 Line | 160 | 160 | 177 | 25,600 |
| 200 Line | 200 | 200 | 277 | 40,000 |
| 300 Line | 300 | 300 | 625 | 90,000 |
| Indian Rugs | ||||
| Term | Knots per 9/10 inch of width |
Knots per 41/2 inch of length |
Knots per square inch |
Knots per square foot |
| 4/25 | 4 | 25 | 25 | 3,600 |
| 4/30 | 4 | 30 | 30 | 4,320 |
| 5/40 | 5 | 40 | 50 | 7,200 |
| 9/60 | 9 | 60 | 135 | 19,440 |
| Pakistani Rugs | ||||
| Term | Knots per inch of width |
Knots per inch of length |
Knots per square inch |
Knots per square foot |
| 9/16 | 9 | 16 | 144 | 20,736 |
| 10/20 | 10 | 20 | 200 | 28,800 |
| 16/18 | 16 | 18 | 288 | 41,472 |
From: http://www.nourison.com/NU/8knots.asp