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Spotting Fake Handicrafts:
Cheating, in one form or
another, may be encountered by anyone in his or her lifetime. It really hurts
when you come to know the truth as you end up on the losing side.
Since we only deal in Hand-embroidered items of Kashmiri
Handicraft, we find it essential to inform our visitors about cheap
machine-embroidered duplicates
and fake machine-woven shawls, sold worldwide in online shops, retail stores and
elsewhere in the name of genuine Kashmiri Handicrafts.
We will try to illustrate here differences between Hand-embroidered &
Machine-embroidered items and how you can stay clear of cheats offering
machine-embroidered look-alikes at seemingly attractive rates.
Machine-embroidery in itself is not bad, but only when it is sold in the name of
hand-embroidery with good intention to cheat or overcharge, the evil becomes
evident.
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Hand
Embroidery V/s Machine Embroidery |
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Hand-embroidery
done with a crochet is the one most commonly
faked in International market. A
machine-embroidered jacket costs around 20% of
its hand-embroidered counterpart, but will
sell comparatively higher because it was advertised as a
Kashmiri Hand-embroidered Jacket. So if
you know how to spot the differences between
the two, you can save yourself from paying
excessive amounts for machine-embroidered
look-alikes.
How to spot
the differences:
Test 1.
A LOOK AT THE WRONG SIDE: This is helpful only
for items which don't have a lining (like
Crewel Fabric, Shawls and Throws, Silk Sarees, Salwar Kameez, Kurtas/
Tunics). A first look at the wrong side will
reveal clearly if the item is embroidered by
hand or machine. Machine-embroidery is a continuous
stitching process and
employs multi-colored thread for embroidery.
It therefore has continuity in stitches with
very few breaks.
Hand-stitch on the contrary employs
one-color threads for embroidery and the
craftsman from time to time breaks off the
earlier thread (color) to start a new thread
(color) leaving behind a trail of hanging
threads on the wrong side of the fabric. |
Hand embroidery leaves a multitude of hanging
threads on the wrong side. |
Machine embroidery being a continuous stitch
hardly leaves any hanging threads. |
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Test 2. A
LOOK AT THE TRUE SIDE: This test will require
some good experience regarding familiarity
with machine and hand stitches. |
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Hand embroidery is tidy with great
variety of colors.
Notice the ascending shoot (brown color) with
its curves imparted by skilled hands. |
Machine embroidery overlaps and uses a
limited number of colors.
The shoot (brown color) here is more of
straight line type and overlapping onto the
leaves (green color). |
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