From one G H we have received the following twisted inquiry:
“I have a question regarding your thoughts on the knots that one uses with one's ties. When I first learned to tie the tie, I of course learned the half-windsor. Sometime thereafter I became a Full Windsor man, through and through. I would even scoff at the Half Windsor fellows. However, in the past year I have switched over to the Four in Hand. I find the knot much less ostentatious. My only quibble is that it has a tendency to be slightly off-center.
Anyway, what knots do you prefer/recommend? What are your thoughts on the knots that I've mentioned? What knots should one never use? I look forward to your wit and wisdom on this issue.
Good day to you sirs!
G H”
GH, there is much in what you say. In fact, you have perhaps opened a veritable Pandora's box of knots for neck-ties (Pandora's box was actually filled with bow ties, as the Greek mythologies tell us). Amazingly, there are a total of 85 ways to tie a tie—yes, a plethora of knots—as discovered by Thomas Fink and Yong Mao. These lads are physicists at the University of Cambridge, and in 1999 they published a book entitled "The 85 Ways To Tie a Tie. The Science and Aesthetics of Tie Knots." A mere thirteen of these knots are “aesthetic” (make a shape smashing enough to twist your tie into), and they are as follows:
- Four-in-hand
- Windsor
- Half-Windsor
- Kelvin
- Oriental
- Nicky
- Victoria
- St. Andrew
- Plattsburgh
- Cavendish
- Grantchester
- Hanover
- Balthus
[See To Tie A Tie for directions on creating the above civilized tangles]
The knot I personally prefer, however, is the good old Four-in-hand. It's versatile, and considered the most attractive by many. Why it looks smashing: The longish shape of the knot lengthens the aspect of the throat area. Why it's versatile: One's tie can be of a thin or thick material, and yet the knot works with either type. You're is also in good company sporting the Four-in-hand, re, the Duke of Windsor. Sure, the Windsor knot is named after him, and the half Windsor is named after half of him, but— according to photographic evidence—it seems his ties were twisted into the Four-in-hand knot. The reasons his tie knots were so thick was not (no pun intended) because of the Windsor knot, but that his ties had a rather thick lining. It's more like he wore the Windsor not (OK, that was a deliberate and maybe even an incorrigible pun).
The Windsor knot does have it's place though, however limited in practice: One really needs a tie of quite thin material, and a shirt with a “cutaway” collar. Now, don't get yourself twisted into a Plattsburgh about this—I speak of ideal situations and circumstances. That is to say, I like the Windsor, even though it isn't my favorite, and even though it has somewhat limited applicability; it looks best, perhaps, in a business or political setting.
Which brings me to one final note on the Windsor: For all its symmetry, and for that reason I think, it lacks character somewhat. Which is why so many politicians prefer it.
The Four-in-hand seems to me to have more character in it's size, in the seeming elongation of the throat area that it creates, its adaptability, and the way you can insert variations into the folds of the tie just under the knot (as with other knots, though the Windsor seems more staid and thus the tie is pretty much flat from the bottom all the way up to the knot). And 4-in-h fits any occasion. And an actual Duke wore it.
What knots would I never wear? The Gordian knot tops the list as knots to never ever wear, under any circumstances. The only person ever to undo it is not only dead I'm pretty sure (Alexander the Great), but the only way he could get the knot undone was to whack it with his sword. No thanks. Second, a badly tied knot of any sort—if it comes out not quite right, I redo it. I imagine most gents do though. After that, I suppose the non-aesthetic knots, and after that—well, I am not averse to any of the 13 known aesthetic knots, of which I am aware at any rate. I admit, I haven't tried them all, and I may find some of them despicable. Then again, I may like them all.
But let's not end on such a serious note. What do you call an emperor who goes about thwacking people with neck ties? An imperial tie fighter.
Cheerio, gentlemen!
