Carriage Trade Rug Washing: The Talk

Some terms in the world of Oriental Rugs words get used that are not common in every day speech or take on a special meaning in regards to rugs. Here are a few of my favorites;

Atelier; among rug washers there is a great debate about the place where you wash and repair your rugs. Do you call it a plant or a shop or do you go with the more female friendly Spa, or Salon. My dear friend Harold Keshishian referred to his work shop as his Atelier. An Atelier is the French word for workshop. Atelier has the connotation of a workshop of an artist or master craftsman. Under Harold the shop was very much an Atelier.

Extant: meaning complete. When a rug is as it was when cut from the loom it is considered extant. A rug is always worth more extant then if reduced.

Reduced: less than whole. With rugs it has the connotation of being almost extant or complete but missing something. If a rug is reduced at one end or reduced at both ends it means that there is loss to the pile often extending into the outer guard borders. If the rug is reduced on 4 sides or very far into the rug it is not reduced it is a Fragment.

Fragment; a part of a rug. It may have uneven borders and holes or it may be rectangular and in good shape except that it is reduced on all 4 sides. It should always be valused at a lower price than if it were extant but keep in mind some fragments can still command astronomical prices.

Polychrome; more than one color. Most oriental rugs are polychrome in that they are more than one color. One color is monochrome and more than one is polychrome. This usage is common in auction catalogue descriptions.

Accessioned: bought, acquired. Many great rug collectors don’t use buy or sell in regards to their rugs. Rugs are either accessioned (bought) or deaccessioned (sold). To use buy or sell would be too plebeian.

Acquired: I got this from Academy of Oriental Rugs Senior Fellow Stephen Dusty Roberts. Dusty makes the point of never asking his clients where they Bought their rug. He asks where they Acquired it. A Great point that will work amazingly well with your clients.

Is Sapphire Scientific in Play Again?

Is Sapphire Scientific in Play Again?
No sooner than it is announced that RPM bought Sapphire Scientific then I get the word that RPM is up for sale. RPM who earlier sold 3 brands including Bondo to 3M is now rumored to be ready to sell all of RPM to 3M. My source tells me that the “Due Diligence” paperwork is in process and if legal and financial depts clear the sale RPM will become part of 3M.
Hard to tell just what that means for Sapphire but my source tells me that 3M may sell Sapphire and Chemspec to SEM who is looking at entering the Carpet Cleaning arena. SEM is said to want to expand into carpet since they are a major player in automotive interihttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifors especially auto carpet.
Add to this that some of the big boys took a look at MasterBlend but their shrinking slice is too small to attract any interest. At the same time another very small chemical manufacturer with truly innovative products may end up with a major distribution deal very soon. The cream rises to the top while the sludge falls to the bottom.
Best wishes,
Barry O’Connell

Rug Chick Lisa Wagner Announces New Training

Rug expert Lisa Wagner and fine fabric expert Jim Pemberton have collaborated on a new training program to develop the next generation of textile specialists in those respective fields.
This program was quietly announced to the readers of Lisa’s Rug Chick blog, and 40 companies were chosen from more than 125 applying companies from across the US, Canada, and UK vying for a spot in this first group of graduates.
“We have a serious deficit in specialists in the fields of rug and fine fabric care because the current training model in our industry is broken. This is our way of fixing this problem through a multi-faceted training process,” shared Jim.
The Textile Pro program is a three phase training process that expands over six months incorporating on-line basic textile training, in-person advanced training, as well as strategic marketing, busihttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifness development, and technical support.
Lisa added, “Becoming a rug pro is way beyond taking a sit-down class and passing a scantron test. It’s a combination of truly understanding this craft from the ground floor up, not just technically but also from a business standpoint. What good is getting a patch on your sleeve if it is not bringing jobs through the door? Our plan is to create not just another group of rug cleaners, but the next group of highly successful Textile Pros who are the best in their region.”
The next group of Textile Pro companies will be chosen as the first group finishes their curriculum in January 2012. For more information about the Textile Pro program, you can visit www.RugChick.com.

A Supercharged catalyst for creativity!

40 Words To Awaken The Entrepreneur Within by Dave DeBlander,
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A Supercharged catalyst for creativity! It is not about what Dave DeBlander says or how well he says it. This is about what it made me think. I started this book on a jet back from Las Vegas and within the first chapter I had to borrow a pen and start making notes of all the things I need to do, stop doing or fix. This book broke the damn of ideas and became a lens though which I could focus on my problems. If you are successful you need this book and if you are not there yet you really need this book.
Deblander is a succesful carpet cleaner who really speaks to us!
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