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The above two quality factors apply only to woven carpet. They are replaced in tufted construction by the count of tufts widthwise across the carpet—referred to as the number of "courses" or "needles" per inch, and lengthwise by the number of tufts or "stitches" per inch.
Pile height is the thickness of the carpet exclusive of the backing, a thick carpet usually being associated with luxury and higher price. "Pile'" means the upstanding fibers or wearing surface of a carpet, either cut during the process of weaving, as in standard Wilton or Velvet carpet, or left uncut (loop pile) as in the "Brussels" variation of Wilton or "tapestry" variation of Velvet. In Wilton, for example, pile may be both cut and uncut on the same row or wire, as explained below.
Yarn weight is the weight of a given length of yarn. A common designation of this weight is the number of ounces per yard. Yarn ply, sometimes considered a fifth "basic factor," means the number of strands of single yarns twisted together to form one strand of yarn. The thickness of the resulting pile depends not only on the number of plies but on the thickness of the yarn itself; thus a 4-ply yarn "A" may actually be thinner in diameter than a 3-ply yarn "B" if the individual strands in "B" are considerably thicker than those in "A." Accordingly, ply by itself is not a reliable index of quality.
Axminster Weave. These terms "Axminster," "Velvet," "Wilton" and "Chenille" refer to the weave of the carpet—not its appearance or quality. This is a most important point to remember, and to make clear to the customer if it comes up in the "question and answer" period referred to previously. Many customers have amusing misconceptions of these terms; they think "Axminster" means only floral patterns, or that "Wilton" means only cut pile, etc. Actually these names originally meant the type of loom used. The modern Axminster loom, named after an English town but invented by an American, is a specialized carpet loom that allows an almost unlimited combination of design and color (Fig. 3.1).
Patterns in Axminster are offered in endless variety—stylized, geo- metric, classic, modern and floral. The pile is nearly always cut, but in a few special weaves it may be uncut. Unlike Wilton, almost all the yarn appears on the surface of Axminster. Within the Axminster type there are various qualities graded according to the type and weight of yarn used, the length of the pile, and the number of rows to the inch.
