A step of hand-knotting in which the weaver, after finishing each row of knots and weft, pounds the row down against the rows below with a beater tool to pack the pile tight. The harder a rug is beaten, the denser and longer-lasting it turns out: Bakhtiari and Bijar weavers are known for especially forceful beating, and Bijar weavers often keep the wool wet so the weft and knots can be pounded down with more force. Because a weaver's beating force also varies over time, it is one reason hand-knotted rugs are not perfectly symmetrical.