Many of you have asked me how to choose between the new Schacht Arras tapestry loom and a Mirrix loom and I thought I’d give you my thoughts in a blog post. I’ve broken my thoughts up into the categories below with a summary at the end along with some links to other blog posts about these looms.

Loom materials and overall look

The Arras is a wooden loom. If you like wood tools, this one is worth looking into. The wood is a beautiful light color and it is hard and resistant to scratching. The other parts are either metal or metal with plastic components.

Mirrix looms are mostly metal with a few wood and plastic parts. The uprights are brass and steel threaded rod and the top and bottom beams are aluminum.

Both looms are well made and finished professionally. I have no complaints about this aspect of either loom! They’re both exceptionally sturdy and will last through decades of hard use. The Arras being new, doesn’t have the track record of the Mirrix which I’ve been using for over a decade now, but I am confident that it will be a long-lasting product as all Schacht equipment is.

Functional components

Tension

Both the Arras and the Mirrix provide excellent tension. They do it in different ways. The Arras has a beam at the top of the loom that moves up and down using large screws. The loom is warped with this beam partway down the slot it fits into and then when the warping is complete, the beam is raised with those screws to tighten the tension. This mechanism on the earlier Schacht tapestry loom had a very small slot and rather wimpy screws and thus the tension on that loom is quite poor. This loom is a huge improvement. The tension can be made quite tight and the beefiness of the screws and loom parts mean that that tension can be maintained and I think is utterly functional for anything you’d need.

Mirrix looms have threaded rod that copper pipe uprights fit into. The tension is tightened after warping by tightening the wing nuts on the threaded rod which forces the two parts of the loom apart. The Mirrix will hold the tightest tension I’ve ever experienced on any tapestry loom and if your warp can take it, the loom can provide it. That tension can be maintained for months or years without damage to the loom (AHEM! I know this from personal experience). This tensioning mechanism is probably functionally better and is more adjustable than that of the Arras, but both looms provide excellent tension for tapestry.

Warping

These two looms are warped the same way. They both have warping bars held temporarily in place. Once the loom is warped, the bars are freed from their holders and are used to rotate the warp as you weave. The Arras uses rubber stoppers to hold the warping bar and the Mirrix uses the shedding mechanism clips turned around. The bar fits into a divot in the wooden clips. The Arras also has a feature where you can raise the body of the loom by lowering the bottom legs which allows a larger warp cone to fit underneath. With a Mirrix I put the loom up on books or yoga blocks as pictured.

Shedding device

Both looms have rotating shedding handles that work with heddles. The Mirrix looms have a handle that swings around the upright support of the loom and latches to hold the shed open. The Arras has a mechanism that is tensioned with a little ball bearing. The tension is adjustable so the shedding handle is easier or harder to turn and it will pop into place and hold if the tension is tight enough. Both looms have rods that slide through stand-offs on the shedding bar that hold the heddles.

Shed size

The shed size with a rotating shedding device is limited by physics/geometry. There is only so much of a shed that can be provided this way and still maintain a tight warp tension. Both looms provide about a 3/4 inch shed below the shedding mechanism. Both looms have moveable shedding rods so you can move it closer or farther from your fell line as the weaving is in process. If you want a larger shed than this, I recommend looking at a floor loom for tapestry. Many countermarche or counterbalance looms provide excellent warp tension and very large sheds. You won’t find that in a tensioned frame loom like these.

Warp spacing/sett

Both of these looms use coil systems to help space the warp as you’re warping. The Mirrix coils are metal and go into a plastic tray on the front of the loom. An additional bottom spring kit is available for the bottom of the loom to help space the warp there. The Arras uses plastic coils that fit over a metal rod that snaps into little clips on the top front of the loom. There is also a way to attach this bar to the top back of the loom if you prefer to warp the loom from the back. Functionally this makes no difference to me, but for some people it might be easier to warp from the back?

I find that students believe that these coil systems will hold their warps straight as they weave. This is impossible. The weft tension is what will determine your warp spacing after you start weaving. The only purpose of these coil systems is to get the warps applied evenly. If you’re good at using a ruler to space your warp, you don’t need any coils at all. I find them very useful and like that Mirrix looms have an additional coil available for the bottom of the loom, but they will not ever be the thing that keeps your warps evenly spaced on any loom.

Heddles

These looms use the same size heddles. I recommend purchasing the texsolv heddles that each company sells, but you can make your own. The Arras comes with 100 heddles, but you’ll need more than that to warp the entire width. You’ll need to purchase heddles separately from Mirrix. Though these heddles seem expensive, they last forever and they provide a very even shed. I’ve been using the same set for more than a decade now and they don’t break or wear out.

Weight/travel

The Schacht loom is a lot heavier than a similarly sized Mirrix loom. Even if you have room to travel with the Arras which is not a small piece of equipment, it does weigh a lot more. The smaller Mirrix looms are great for workshops. The Little Guy and the Big Sister both fit in a suitcase and I use these two looms extensively along with the even smaller Lani for travel to teach. I would never consider traveling with the Arras. It is simply too large.

Price

The Arras retails for $375 according to Schacht’s website. The same size loom from Mirrix (the Zach) retails for $350 according to Mirrix’s website. If you want a loom that weaves to this width, the price is nearly identical. Of course different size Mirrix looms are more or less expensive depending on the size.

The Schacht Arras tapestry loom warped with a piece in process.

Some differences that might help you choose one over the other

Footprint

The Arras is a large loom. It takes up a significant area on the table and is much deeper and taller than a Mirrix that weaves the same width. The Mirrix folds up fairly flat and can be slid behind a door or under a bed for storage with a piece on it and it comes apart into two parts for storing when there isn’t a warp on it. The Arras, once assembled, does not collapse for storage beyond the back support feet folding in.

The Mirrix also offers a variety of heights and thus warp lengths and their accessories include a warp extender package that allows you to put on an even shorter warp while maintaining the length of the loom. (I recommend having the loom extended as far as possible for the easiest weaving experience. The shorter the loom is, the more difficult it is to weave on and to change the shed with a tight warp.) So your Mirrix loom might be very tall if you have warp extenders on it, or it could be quite short if you’ve warped it partially collapsed (again, not what I recommend, but it is possible and might be the thing for a particular project).

Fringeless, four-selvedge use

Space between two layers of warp illustrated. Fringeless uses one layer of warp and continuously warped looms like the Arras and Mirrix create two layers which is great for other reasons, but not great for four-selvedge warping in the Fringeless sty… — Space between two layers of warp illustrated. Fringeless uses one layer of warp and continuously warped looms like the Arras and Mirrix create two layers which is great for other reasons, but not great for four-selvedge warping in the Fringeless style.

Arras: I’ve been asked a few times if the Arras could be used for four-selvedge warping. I think it COULD be used this way, but if you want to do a lot of four-selvedge weaving, it probably isn’t the best loom for you. The space between the front and back layer of warp on this loom is larger than on the Mirrix and the Fringeless method involves one layer of warp and supplemental warps that need to wrap that bar. I think this would theoretically be possible on the Arras, but it isn’t ideal. If you want to weave on the Arras, consider making a pipe loom for Fringeless pieces.

Mirrix: The Mirrix is a bit easier to use for Fringeless warping, but it also isn’t ideal due to the thickness of the top and bottom beams, an advantage for continuous warping, but not great for four-selvedge. However, Mirrix sells the Shasta combs which make it possible to use just one layer of warp and I have had students use them for the Fringeless online course.

Note: In this section I am ONLY talking about the Fringeless method that Sarah Swett teaches in our online course. There are other methods for doing this, but this is the best way in my opinion if you want a large easy-to-weave-on shed and a pleasant weaving experience. Yes, Mirrix sells a no-warp-ends kit that people sometimes use for four selvedge, but it is a different method from this which is similar to Navajo four selvedge where you have no shed larger than the piece. I do teach how to use the Mirrix for Fringeless warping in that course and the loom in the photo below with the pink piece on it is warped this way.

Size availability

Some of my Mirrix looms (L->R 12 inch Little Guy, two 16 inch Big Sisters, the 22 inch Zach). Tapestry is by Cornelia Theimer Gardella.

The Mirrix comes in widths from 5 to 38 inches. They all work great. The 5 inch loom isn’t one I’d necessarily recommend to start with for tapestry because it only weaves a couple inches wide, though if you want to make bracelets, this loom might be all you need (I believe it was designed primarily for bead weaving). All the other sizes work exceedingly well for tapestry and this wide variety of size allows you to match the work you want to do with a loom that can meet those needs.

The Arras comes in just one width. The loom weaves to 20 inches wide and of course can handle anything narrower than that.

Accessories

Arras: There is an optional beam assembly and raddle you can purchase for weaving on longer warps. I have not yet tested this accessory myself and can’t comment on it. The loom comes with 100 heddles and four warp coils from which you can get just about any sett you want.

Mirrix: These looms come with a range of warp coils but don’t come with any heddles. Mirrix has lots of accessories that fit their looms. Their looms come in a huge range of sizes and some of the parts fit most of their looms (the smallest looms being the exception). The coils are sized for the width loom you’re using so you’ll need to buy coils specifically for the loom you have, but the shedding handles, wooden clips, warp extenders, Shasta combs, and feet extenders as well as the electric treadle fit most of their looms. This is handy if you have several looms but only want to buy one set of warp extenders or a treadle for example.

Mirrix accessories that might be of interest:

Shasta Combs: These are metal combs that fit on the top and bottom of the loom. You can get them to fit a particular loom, but if you want to weave a narrower piece on a bigger loom, you can put narrower combs on bigger looms without a problem. This allows quick warping and the warp is not continuous, so you can see the other side of the weaving as you’re working.
Spencer treadle: The treadle helps with speed and ergonomics. With the treadle you can control the shed with your feet. I believe it fits on all of their looms that have shedding devices.
Harvey Loom stand: This is an easel. I have never owned one, but many of my students like them. It stands on the floor and is adjustable.
No warp ends kit: This allows you to put on shorter warps with the loom still extended.
Warp extenders: These are super useful especially on the Little Guy loom which is kind of short. It allows for longer warps but also gives you a nice easy-to-weave-on warp. I love the 6 inch extenders the best.
Bottom Spring Kit: This puts a coil at the bottom of your loom. It helps space the warp perfectly as you put it in. I really like this feature but it is offered separately.

This Little Guy Mirrix loom has six inch warp extenders installed. It is warped for Fringeless four-selvedge with just one layer of warp which may look a little different than you’re used to. We teach how to do that in the online course, Fringeless … — This Little Guy Mirrix loom has six inch warp extenders installed. It is warped for Fringeless four-selvedge with just one layer of warp which may look a little different than you’re used to. We teach how to do that in the online course, Fringeless with Sarah C. Swett. You can also see the shedding handle and that I made blue heddles for this project instead of using the white texsolv heddles you see in other images.

Summary

Both looms are excellent pieces of equipment. If you’re looking for a tapestry loom that sits on a table, is upright, and holds a good tension, both the Mirrix and the Arras will fill those needs. There are some differences between them that I’ve detailed above. The biggest difference may be size. The Arras only comes in one size, the Mirrix comes in everything from very tiny to huge. But if you’re looking for different accessories or uses, read the details here.

I have used Mirrix looms in my teaching for a decade now and you’ll see them in almost all of my teaching videos and in my courses as well as at any workshop I teach. They are tried and true looms that have nice accessories, are super sturdy, provide flexibility in warping and weaving, and are well-supported by the company for the last 25 years. Schacht is a company that has existed for 50 years, makes excellent products mostly of wood, and has just developed this new tapestry loom.

I’ve written posts about both of these looms in the past.

The Schacht Arras Tapestry Loom

The Saffron Pocket Loom has Landed (this post is about the small lap loom Mirrix released in 2020)

Tapestry Looms: 5 things you need to know (this post links many other loom posts and talks about the things to look for in a good tapestry loom)

You can find out more about the Arras on Schacht’s website HERE.

You can a find out more about Mirrix looms on their website HERE.

It is possible I missed some things about these looms. If you have other ideas or opinions, feel free to let us know in the comments.

Arras vs. Mirrix