What type of knot do you tie?

[Matt Deckard]

For the Necktie inclined this is a thread that should shed some light. I recently was ahown a new way to tie a bow tie... very interesting. It allows you to untie the tie and pretty much pull it right off your neck without it still being wrapped around your neck when you pull either end... hard to describe, so I'll make a video.

As for this thread..

I like to tie my necktie using the standard four in hand knot. It's just tight and clean and easy. I don't like the larger knots that come with the Windsor or the half. I don't like the super perfection of the Pratt knot. I like the sometimes off balance look of the overhand. Works great with a collar bar.

Been dancing, so the top of the knot's a bit sweaty.

What type of knot do you use?

 

[Tomasso]

Four In Hand!!

I was required to wear a tie from Kindergarten until twelfth grade. I did the clip-on until second grade ,when my dad taught me the four in hand, the rest is history. It's the best knot!

 

[Shaul-Ike Cohen]

Four-in-hand. I learned it from my father, who also tried to teach me the Windsor, but rather as a secondary knot.

I had no idea about the name of it, and when first saw step-by-step guides some time ago on the 'net, I thought what I was doing was a mirrored four-in-hand, until I suspected most or all of the pictured guides are showing what you'd see in a mirror.

I like it because it's not so thick; I also usually don't wear wide-spread "shark" collars. I don't mind the occasional asymmetry at all. A French guy once claimed it looked "German" to him - no idea where he got that from, after all I read 80% of ties in the world are tied like that.

Never in my life had or wore a clip-on tie.

 

[matei]

I like it because it's not so thick; I also usually don't wear wide-spread "shark" collars. I don't mind the occasional asymmetry at all.

My thoughts exactly - what he said!

When I was a kid I wore a clip-on tie that I'd nick from my dad (he's a cop, and they wore clip-ons for safety reasons), until someone ripped it off and "outed me" as a clip-on wearer.

From that point on I tied my own ties!

I don't like the big Windsor knots. They're real popular here in the UK, but I think that they can look a bit silly - especially with the big, thick ties that are in style nowadays.

 

[Senator Jack]

I used to tie the four-in-hand till I learned the windsors. Now depending on the length of the tie, I usually find myself tieing the half-windsor or even the dreaded DOUBLE-windsor. My problem is, at 5' 7", even vintage ties tend to be long on me when tied by four-in-hand. (And why are most vintage suits size 38 while the ties seem to have been designed for 6' men?)

With the lengthy tie on a short frame, even the double windsor doesn't look that large because most of the knot is made by the thin part of the tie.

Haven't thought about the Pratt for some time. I remember learning but never using it. Will have to revisit.

Regards,

Senator Jack

 

[Shaul-Ike Cohen]

he's a cop, and they wore clip-ons for safety reasons

Interesting, never thought of that.

 

[Mr. Rover]

I use a four in hand, but if the tie is too long (5'8) I will use a tight half-windsor. Nothing bigger than that.

 

[Quigley Brown]

Four-in-hand. I think all the wild 1940s ties were meant to be worn like that by untamed bachelors...like me. I recall a Cary Grant film where he was the wild bachelor and wore his ties like that and his woman tried to tame him by taking his tie off and replace it with a dull single-colored one with a Windsor. I associate a Windsor with....well....the Duke who invented it (a dry, dull Brit).

 

[Baron Kurtz]

With the lengthy tie on a short frame, even the double windsor doesn't look that large because most of the knot is made by the thin part of the tie.

Exactly.

Well what knot i tie depends upon the collar. With spread collars, the angles seem to fall perfectly for a nice symmetrical windsor (with a relatively small knot as described by SJ).

But my favourite remains the four in hand. I like the asymmetry - it throws a bit of randomness into an otherwise very contrived outfit (read: suit, fedora).

So, my vote is for four in hand ...

bk

 

[Baron Kurtz]

BY the way. Matt: that suit is fantastic!

bk

 

[Flitcraft]

Half-windsor with a dimple!

 

[Braxton36]

Four-in-hand exclusively but I can remember when a half-Windsor was more in fashion (say, in the 70's) - everyone had these awful wide thick ties - quel horreur!

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

With my 18-1/2" neck, it has to be a four-in-hand or there'd be no tie showing under the knot, especially with my vintage ties.

 

[Matt Deckard]

One of the things you can do with the ties that are too long is go to a tailor and have them shortend. Just retip the short end.

The tie I am wearing in the picture is an Armani and is way too long for my taste. I tuck the back end in my trousers

 

[Mycroft]

I think they four in hand is the best for me, since it keeps the ties at a decent length, and also it dosen't interfere with neck movement in the up or down direction.

 

[Feraud]

It depends on the spread of a shirt collar.
Four in hand for the narrow and Windsor (or half) for spread collars.
The full knot of a Windsor helps use of the large space created by a spread collar.

 

[CharlieH.]

Four in hand... It's the only knot I can get *right*. I remember having tried to tie a windsor and I ended up with a dimple on the knot itself.

And how do you tie a Pratt?

 

[Matt Deckard]

The Pratt is one of the simpler ones that starts out with the ties seam facing outward from the collar. It seems to turn out correct more so than any of the other ties.

Put the tie around your collar seam facing out and (for the example) large end over the right shoulder

In front of you place small end over the large end

put the large end through the cross created by the tie. The large end should be back on the left again

Wrap the large end around the knot taking it around the back and pull it up through the center.

Put the large end through the front of the knot.

Pull the back end down, straighten the tie and tighten the knot

Hope that's came out clear.

The narrow end of the tie's seam should be facing forward while the wide end as always should have the seam facing back.

 

[The Wingnut]

Pratt's my knot, has been for years...notice my *single* vote up there.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

I wear a half Windsor almost every day to the office, with a dimple because I came out of school in the 80s.
My favorite knot is the Windsor with a spread collar. I am tall enough and wide enough to balance it out.