What makes SHIVHON carpets unique

Offering the highest levels of responsible design and craftsmanship, SHIVHON strives to preserve Tibet ’s centuries old carpet making traditions and art form without compromising quality or social responsibility.

CONSTRUCTION

Unlike most rugs now coming from Nepal , SHIVHON carpets continue the age-old traditions of true Tibetan weaving-- no shortcuts, no compromises

KNOT COUNT

The knot count states how many individual knots of wool are found in one square inch of a handmade rug. In essence, the knot count defines the rugs fineness. A higher knot count allows for more detail in the design while also providing a finer rug texture than that of a lower knot count. You can physically feel the fineness of a rug when you grab it and try to bend it. A rug with a very high knot count will bend quite easily. You can actually grab a section of a finer rug and crumple into one hand much like you would with a towel. You can be confident that the knot count of a SHIVHON carpet is accurate. Unlike many others, we do not exaggerate the number of knots so you can be certain that you will find 100 knots per square inch in one of our 100 knot rugs.

TIBETAN WOOL

SHIVHON carpets are made with the highest quality of Tibetan wool available. This wool comes from the sheep of the Tibetan plateau at an altitude of 16,000 ft. Long fibers, high lanolin content and the unique physical structure of Tibetan wool makes it the ideal choice for rug weaving.

DENSITY OF PACKING

After the weavers finish weaving a row of knots, the alternate warp shed is pulled forward and the weft is passed through, then pounded down hard on the row of knots. This takes time and is hard work but it is essential for strengthening the foundation of the rug. SHIVHONweavers pack each rug very tightly in order to strengthen the rug and offer the durability necessary for it to last generations.

NO STRONG CHEMICAL WASHES

Strong chemical washes strip the wool of its natural lanolin. The wash creates an immediate shine but only at the expense of the wool, which has been stripped of its natural lanolin and weakened by the strong chemicals. SHIVHON carpets are not washed with harsh chemicals. Rather, their beautiful shine naturally reveals itself after being polished through the exposure to light, air and, of course, passing feet!

NUMBER OF COLORS

SHIVHON offers an unprecedented number of colors to select from in our carpets.