Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Tie Knots: Know More Than One

I got lots of requests to actually show how to do some of the tie knots that I have been wearing, and that I blogged about a while ago. So... I will attempt to do my best with the help of Thomas Fink.

First, the knots that I will present here are the 85 ways to tie a tie, the STANDARD way. Meaning that the tie will be made with the wide end wrapping around the narrow end. Some of the nuttier knots involve wrapping the narrow end around the wide end to create the knot. I won't show those here.

Here are the two ways you can start the knot:

Pay attention to the letters. C is for Center, L is for Left, R is for Right, O is for seam on the OUTside, and I is for seam on the INside.
So looking at the diagram you notice that you start your knots by putting you seem on the outside crossing the wide part under the narrow, or having your seem on the inside crossing the wide part over the narrow.
Notice, also, that you should start with your wide part on the Right and you narrow on the right, so that you always begin the knot by moving the wide part to the left.

Next we have six ways to continue the knot:

Pay very close attention to the notation. Where the seem is, tells you HOW you get to that next position.

Now the three ways to end the knot:

If the notation is TT there is a double wrap at the end:


So we can now start to use the above notation to represent the steps for tie knots. Let's start with one of the very simplest knots, the Four In Hand knot. Notation: Li Ro Li Co T
You will notice that this knot is simply the beginning step, Li (wide end on the left seem on the inside) followed by the finishing step Ro (wide end to the right seem on the outside), Li (wide end to the left seem on the inside), Co (wide end straight up in the center seem on the outside), T (wide end goes through the loop created by the last step, tighten the knot). Here is a step by step diagram:


Now we can get a bit more complicated. The Double Windsor knot (or the Windsor to non-Americans) has a few more steps. Notation: Li Co Ri Lo Ci Ro Li Co T
As you can see from the notation, the tie is crossed then wrapped around the "legs" at the neckline. This is done on both sides to create a symetrical wide triangle look. The step by step diagram:


Got it? So here are the 85 ways to tie a tie, regardless of aesthetics (note that only about 20 of these actually look any good):
Legend:
Number is the number of the knot, and, along with any subscripts or superscripts, a unique identifier (e.g., FM7 is the half-Windsor, where FM refers to the Fink-Mao notation). Knots are ordered first by size, then by the number of centre moves C, then by symmetry s, then by balance b.

Size is the number of moves, not including T. Higher values correspond to bigger knots.

Centres is the number of centre moves C. Higher values correspond to broader knots.

Sequence The instructions for tying the knot, using the notation described at the top of this page.

Symmetry (s) is the absolute value of the difference between the number of R and L moves.

Balance (b) is the number of times the winding of the wide blade switches from clockwise to counter-clockwise, or vice-versa.

Knotted status (k) Whether, when the tie is removed over the head and the thin end pulled out of the knot, a knot remains (y) or does not (n). If a knot remains, it is said to be not self-releasing; if no knot remains, it is said to be self-releasing.

Name Standard name of the knot.

3on The subscript on is short for Onassis, and it indicates his particular style of bring the wide blade behind and through the center after tying a four-in-hand. This variation can be applied to any knot but the results are all much the same.

32, 62, etc. If a knot ends with two Ts, it is subscripted 2; if three Ts, it is subscripted 3; and so on.

32r, etc. The superscript r means the tie is worn in reverse, that is, back-to-front. While this is of course possible for any knot, with some it gives unusual and pleasant results. The tie itself should be reversed before tying.

No. Size Cen. Sequence s b k Name
1

3

1

Lo Ri Co T

0

0

y

Oriental

2 4 1 Li Ro Li Co T 1 1 n four-in-hand
2on

4

1

Li Ro Li Co T Ri Co

1

1

Onassis



3 5 1 Lo Ri Lo Ri Co T 0 2 y Kelvin
32 5 1 Lo Ri Lo Ri Co T T 0 2 cross Kelvin  
32r 5 1 Lo Ri Lo Ri Co T T 0 2 diagonal  
4 5 2 Lo Ci Ro Li Co T 1 0 n Nicky
5

5

2

Lo Ci Lo Ri Co T

1

1

y

Pratt

6 6 1 Li Ro Li Ro Li Co T 1 3 n Victoria
62 6 1 Li Ro Li Ro Li Co T T 1 3 cross Victoria  
7 6 2 Li Ro Ci Lo Ri Co T 0 0 y half-Windsor
8 6 2 Li Ro Ci Ro Li Co T 0 1 n co-half-Windsor
9 6 2 Li Co Ri Lo Ri Co T 0 1 y  
10

6

2

Li Co Li Ro Li Co T

2

2

n



11 7 1 Lo Ri Lo Ri Lo Ri Co T 0 4 y  
112 7 1 Lo Ri Lo Ri Lo Ri Co T T 0 4    
113 7 1 Lo Ri Lo Ri Lo Ri Co T T T 0 4    
12 7 2 Lo Ri Lo Ci Ro Li Co T 1 1 n St Andrew
13 7 2 Lo Ri Co Li Ro Li Co T 1 1 n  
14 7 2 Lo Ri Lo Ci Lo Ri Co T 1 2 y co-St Andrew
15 7 2 Lo Ri Co Ri Lo Ri Co T 1 2 y  
16 7 2 Lo Ci Ro Li Ro Li Co T 1 2 n  
162 7 2 Lo Ci Ro Li Ro Li Co T T 1 2    
17 7 2 Lo Ci Lo Ri Lo Ri Co T 1 3 y  
172 7 2 Lo Ci Lo Ri Lo Ri Co T T 1 3    
18 7 3 Lo Ci Ro Ci Lo Ri Co T 0 1 y Plattsburgh
19 7 3 Lo Ci Ro Ci Ro Li Co T 0 2 n co-Plattsburgh
20 7 3 Lo Ci Lo Ci Ro Li Co T 2 2 n  
21

7

3

Lo Ci Lo Ci Lo Ri Co T

2

3

y



22 8 1 Li Ro Li Ro Li Ro Li Co T 1 5 n  
222 8 1 Li Ro Li Ro Li Ro Li Co T T 1 5    
223 8 1 Li Ro Li Ro Li Ro Li Co T T T 1 5    
23 8 2 Li Ro Li Co Ri Lo Ri Co T 0 2 y Cavendish
24 8 2 Li Ro Li Ro Ci Lo Ri Co T 0 2 y  
25 8 2 Li Ro Ci Lo Ri Lo Ri Co T 0 2 y  
252 8 2 Li Ro Ci Lo Ri Lo Ri Co T T 0 2   Christensen
26 8 2 Li Ro Li Ro Ci Ro Li Co T 0 3 n  
27 8 2 Li Ro Ci Ro Li Ro Li Co T 0 3 n  
272 8 2 Li Ro Ci Ro Li Ro Li Co T T 0 3 co-Christensen  
28 8 2 Li Co Ri Lo Ri Lo Ri Co T 0 3 y  
282 8 2 Li Co Ri Lo Ri Lo Ri Co T T 0 3    
29 8 2 Li Ro Li Co Li Ro Li Co T 2 3 n  
30 8 2 Li Co Li Ro Li Ro Li Co T 2 4 n  
302 8 2 Li Co Li Ro Li Ro Li Co T T 2 4    
31 8 3 Li Co Ri Lo Ci Ro Li Co T 1 0 n Windsor
32 8 3 Li Co Li Ro Ci Lo Ri Co T 1 1 y co-Windsor 1
33 8 3 Li Co Ri Lo Ci Lo Ri Co T 1 1 y co-Windsor 2
34 8 3 Li Ro Ci Lo Ci Ro Li Co T 1 1 n  
35 8 3 Li Co Li Ro Ci Ro Li Co T 1 2 n co-Windsor 3
36 8 2 Li Ro Ci Ro Ci Lo Ri Co T 1 2 y  
37 8 3 Li Ro Ci Lo Ci Lo Ri Co T 1 2 y  
38 8 3 Li Co Ri Co Li Ro Li Co T 1 2 n  
39 8 3 Li Ro Ci Ro Ci Ro Li Co T 1 3 n  
40 8 3 Li Co Li Co Ri Lo Ri Co T 1 3 y  
41 8 3 Li Co Ri Co Ri Lo Ri Co T 1 3 y  
42

8

3

Li Co Li Co Li Ro Li Co T

3

4

n



43 9 1 Lo Ri Lo Ri Lo Ri Lo Ri Co T 0 6 y  
432 9 1 Lo Ri Lo Ri Lo Ri Lo Ri Co T T 0 6    
433 9 1 Lo Ri Lo Ri Lo Ri Lo Ri Co T T T 0 6    
434 9 1 Lo Ri Lo Ri Lo Ri Lo Ri Co T T T T 0 6    
44 9 2 Lo Ri Lo Ri Co Li Ro Li Co T 1 3 n Granchester
45 9 2 Lo Ri Lo Ci Ro Li Ro Li Co T 1 3 n  
452 9 2 Lo Ri Lo Ci Ro Li Ro Li Co T T 1 3    
46 9 2 Lo Ri Lo Ri Lo Ci Ro Li Co T 1 3 n  
47 9 2 Lo Ri Co Li Ro Li Ro Li Co T 1 3 n  
472 9 2 Lo Ri Co Li Ro Li Ro Li Co T T 1 3    
48 9 2 Lo Ri Lo Ri Co Ri Lo Ri Co T 1 4 y co-Grantchester
49 9 2 Lo Ri Lo Ci Lo Ri Lo Ri Co T 1 4 y  
492 9 2 Lo Ri Lo Ci Lo Ri Lo Ri Co T T 1 4    
50 9 2 Lo Ri Lo Ri Lo Ci Lo Ri Co T 1 4 y  
51 9 2 Lo Ri Co Ri Lo Ri Lo Ri Co T 1 4 y  
512 9 2 Lo Ri Co Ri Lo Ri Lo Ri Co T T 1 4    
52 9 2 Lo Ci Ro Li Ro Li Ro Li Co T 1 4 n  
522 9 2 Lo Ci Ro Li Ro Li Ro Li Co T T 1 4    
523 9 2 Lo Ci Ro Li Ro Li Ro Li Co T T T 1 4    
53 9 2 Lo Ci Lo Ri Lo Ri Lo Ri Co T 1 5 y  
532 9 2 Lo Ci Lo Ri Lo Ri Lo Ri Co T T 1 5    
533 9 2 Lo Ci Lo Ri Lo Ri Lo Ri Co T T T 1 5    
54 9 3 Lo Ri Co Li Ro Ci Lo Ri Co T 0 0 y Hanover
55 9 3 Lo Ri Co Ri Lo Ci Ro Li Co T 0 1 n co-Hanover 1
56 9 3 Lo Ri Co Li Ro Ci Ro Li Co T 0 1 n co-Hanover 2
57 9 3 Lo Ci Ro Li Ro Ci Lo Ri Co T 0 1 y  
58 9 3 Lo Ci Ro Li Co Ri Lo Ri Co T 0 1 y co-Hanover 3
59 9 3 Lo Ri Co Ri Lo Ci Lo Ri Co T 0 2 y  
60 9 3 Lo Ci Ro Li Ro Ci Ro Li Co T 0 2 n  
61 9 3 Lo Ri Lo Ci Ro Ci Lo Ri Co T 0 2 y  
62 9 3 Lo Ri Co Li Co Ri Lo Ri Co T 0 2 y  
63 9 3 Lo Ri Lo Ci Ro Ci Ro Li Co T 0 3 n  
64 9 3 Lo Ri Co Ri Co Li Ro Li Co T 0 3 n  
65 9 3 Lo Ci Lo Ri Co Ri Lo Ri Co T 0 3 y  
66 9 3 Lo Ci Ro Ci Lo Ri Lo Ri Co T 0 3 y  
662 9 3 Lo Ci Ro Ci Lo Ri Lo Ri Co T T 0 3    
67 9 3 Lo Ci Ro Ci Ro Li Ro Li Co T 0 4 n  
672 9 3 Lo Ci Ro Ci Ro Li Ro Li Co T T 0 4    
68 9 3 Lo Ci Lo Ri Lo Ci Ro Li Co T 2 2 n  
69 9 3 Lo Ci Lo Ri Co Li Ro Li Co T 2 2 n  
70 9 3 Lo Ci Ro Li Co Li Ro Li Co T 2 2 n  
71 9 3 Lo Ci Lo Ri Lo Ci Lo Ri Co T 2 3 y  
72 9 3 Lo Ri Lo Ci Lo Ci Ro Li Co T 2 3 n  
73 9 3 Lo Ri Co Li Co Li Ro Li Co T 2 3 n  
74 9 3 Lo Ri Lo Ci Lo Ci Lo Ri Co T 2 4 y  
75 9 3 Lo Ri Co Ri Co Ri Lo Ri Co T 2 4 y  
76 9 3 Lo Ci Lo Ci Ro Li Ro Li Co T 2 4 n  
762 9 3 Lo Ci Lo Ci Ro Li Ro Li Co T T 2 4    
77 9 3 Lo Ci Lo Ci Lo Ri Lo Ri Co T 2 5 y  
772 9 3 Lo Ci Lo Ci Lo Ri Lo Ri Co T T 2 5    
78 9 4 Lo Ci Ro Ci Lo Ci Ro Li Co T 1 2 n Balthus
79 9 4 Lo Ci Lo Ci Ro Ci Lo Ri Co T 1 3 y  
80 9 4 Lo Ci Ro Ci Ro Ci Lo Ri Co T 1 3 y  
81 9 4 Lo Ci Ro Ci Lo Ci Lo Ri Co T 1 3 y co-Balthus
82 9 4 Lo Ci Lo Ci Ro Ci Ro Li Co T 1 4 n  
83 9 4 Lo Ci Ro Ci Ro Ci Ro Li Co T 1 4 n
84 9 4 Lo Ci Lo Ci Lo Ci Ro Li Co T 3 4 n  
85 9 4 Lo Ci Lo Ci Lo Ci Lo Ri Co T 3 5 y  

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