Olga

Wool is an animal fibre, most often derived from sheep fleece. Wool was already being spun as early as 5,000 BC. In Roman times, wool, leather and linen were the main materials used to make clothes. With the progressive development of mechanical processes and the evolution of breeding techniques, wool became the economic lung of several countries in the Xth century, and again in the XIIth. Renowned for its thermal and sound insulation properties, wool also offers the advantage of absorbing moisture. It is a noble and timeless material, used from time immemorial for its strength and durability. PINTON uses local wool with shorter carded fibres, which make it fluffier and give it more volume, or a specific type of wool from New-Zealand with long combed fibres that are more resistant to heavy traffic. Both types of wool are spun (carded or combed) and dyed in the spinning plant located in Felletin. Whether they are made in 100% pure virgin wool or blended with other materials like linen, silk, bamboo, leather or many others, PINTON wool rugs and carpets bring comfort and quality.

Phosphorescence is a phenomenon specific to some materials that continue to radiate light after receiving it. In other terms: after storing light, these materials release it progressively in darkness without combustion or friction. The term phosphorescence is an extension of the word phosphorus, derived from the Greek phos meaning light and phoros, bearer. A German alchemist is said to have discovered phosphorus by chance when trying to find the philosophers’ stone in the XVIIth century. Some bodies are spontaneously phosphorescent like certain molluscs and insects. While it has many applications nowadays, especially in the area of safety, phosphorescence continues to fascinate and retains magical connotations. Combined with other materials such as wool, phosphorescent threads are used in the rugs produced by PINTON to create an enchanted look that never gets old.

Linen is a plant-based natural fibre derived from flax. It is possibly one of the first fibres used by man: fragments of twisted and dyed linen fibres were found, allegedly over 30,000 years old. In France, Charlemagne developed the culture of flax, which reached its peak in the XVIIIth century with over 300,000 hectares dedicated to its culture. A quintessential natural material, flax requires neither fertiliser nor irrigation. Transforming the flax plant into linen yarn involves no chemical process. Finally, the linen fibre stands the test of time and traffic. All these qualities led PINTON to offer rugs and carpets made in this material, used on its own or in combination with others.

Linen can be used in loop weave where the continuous thread forms loops on the surface of the rug, or in pile weave where the threads on the surface of the rug are cut. It can also be woven as loop and cut which combines both techniques.

While the history of PINTON is punctuated with fruitful collaborations and fascinating encounters, it is also marked by the wealth of talents in its midst. For over a decade, a team of 4 creatives coming from diverse backgrounds devote their time to designing rugs and carpets for the PINTON manufactory. Driven by shared curiosity, constant research and dialogue, the team is continually enriching the firm’s collections with new patterns or designs, combinations of materials and colours, as well colour variations. Capturing trends, listening to customers’ wishes, in direct connection with the company’s history and located under the same roof as the craftspeople and the workshops, at the crossroad of the creative and production processes, the PINTON team of designers are at the heart of the business.

The hand tufting technique is a process combining centuries-old skills and modern weaving tools. The canvas is perfectly stretched over an upright loom and the craftsperson transfers by hand the future design of the rug with the utmost precision. Threads are inserted manually, one by one, working with a gun on the back of the canvas, following the colours, the drawing and the different tuft heights. PINTON was one of the first manufactories to use the gun tufting technique to produce some of its rugs and carpets and is the only French workshop offering very high quality tufted rugs. With this technique, production times are reduced compared to the knotted stitch weave or point noué. Finally, hand tufting offers a large range of possible depths. Carving is the technique that consists in sculpting the wool and creating textures within the woven rug. Since the early 1990s, PINTON has been specialising in the production of hand tufted rugs for which it also collaborates with famous designers and artists.