Brintons has become a byword for quality in the UK carpet trade. They dominate the higher end market to such an extent that they claim that the wool from 1 in 8 British sheep ends up in a Brintons carpet.
Actually, the origin of the wool is an important point to consider. Not only is this supportive of the British wool trade, it is also very suitable wool for use in carpet. Apparently it’s all down to climate. Our climate here (New Zealand is another ideal example to use) produces hardy sheep whose coats must withstand the full rigours of our ‘lovely’ winters. Compare this with wool sourced from sheep from the much gentler Southern European areas and you will notice a substantial difference.
Of course, Brintons are far from the only British company to use British wool, but they are the biggest and they hammer home the point in their literature and on their website.
One of their flagship plain carpets is Bell Twist. Now this is slightly different to a lot of wool twists you may have looked at. Firstly it is not a tufted twist, it is actually a woven wilton. That doesn’t mean it is patterned! It simply refers to how the carpet is put together – very briefly the pile and the backing yarns are woven together, so this carpet ought to be stronger than its tufted competitors.
Secondly, and vitally important, is the 80/20 construction itself. Now a lot of cheaper tufted twists use 20% polypropylene together with their 80% wool, but Brintons use 20% nylon which produces a much better wearing, better handling and better looking carpet. Often carpet shops are reluctant to mention the ‘n word’ as customers often have a low opinion of this miraculous fibre (arguably one of the best inventions of the last century!). An 80% wool twist with 20% nylon is a much better bet than a one constructed with 20% polypropylene – simple. Again though, they are not alone in this.
The weight of the carpet itself is just over 41oz. What? I hear you say…’only’ 41oz?? Yes…. and this is a key point to note when you are buying a carpet – ‘more’ is not always better. Personally, I always feel that the ideal weight for a wool twist is 40-50oz. It’s going to feel good, wear well and retain its appearance very nicely.
If you choose Bell Twist then you have a whopping 60 colours to tempt you and it is manufactured in three widths, 4.57m (15′), 3.66m (12′) and 0.91m (3′). You will probably pay between £27 and £35 per square metre for this lovely carpet and I would strongly recommend it. If you compare it with wool twist at around £20 per metre then it wins by a mile in my opinion. If you have a 20 square metre room then you will pay around £200 more for this than for a £20 per metre competitor, but the difference is very significant and well worth the extra. If you can afford it, then buy it.
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