When many people shop for their Cowhide Rug they look at the pretty colors and make their decisions from there and leave it at that. There are a few things that need to be considered before handing over your credit card.  So we are going to try to answer some of the most common questions we are asked about buying a Cowhide Rug Size Matters:  You should measure the area that your Cowhide is going to be placed to get a general idea of the size your going to need. Sizes can vary greatly and if your trying to pull of a certain look you certainly want the right size.

Color Scheme:  With a wide variety of colors out there its a good idea to come up with an idea of colors that will work with your room.  Things to consider ie.. Wall colors, Furniture colors, Floor colors.

Where is it from:  You always want to know the origin of where your Cowhide Rug came from.  Cowhides from Brazil are typically considered the best in the world.  Many cowhides purchased in places like Texas, Oklahoma have hides that come from Mexico (usually much lower quality) or another country like Argentina or Columbia where the tanning process are not as thorough.

Is the Back Soft:  One of the charictiristics of a quality Cowhide rug is the back.  On a high quality hide the backing is going to be soft and supple.  On a cheaper hide or one thats been processed poorly the back will be stiff and sandpaper like.

How Thick is the Hide:  This is something that an experienced eye can detect.  When looking at the edge of the hide try to determine how thick it is.  Your looking for somewhere between 1/8 inch to a 1/4 inch thick.  The cheeper hides will feel real flimsy and be fairly thin.   A thin Cowhide rug can cause problems by curling up (not normal) when on the floor and cause  a tripping hazard.

Is there Stitches:  Now this can be a tricky thing to determine as not all stitches are bad.  Its can be common to find a Cowhide rug that's been stitched.  There are many things that can cause holes in the rug (could be from an injury the cow received, or from the tanning process)  If the rug that you have found does have a stitch on it you will be able to tell by looking at the back of the cowhide, and will see a small wedge which is just a piece of matching hide that is used to fill the hole.   Questions you want to ask.  Can you see the hole from the front of the Cowhide?   Does it look or feel like its going to fall out?  On a properly repaired hole it can last for decades with out a problem.  On a hole that's not done properly it can cause problems quickly.