Four-in-hand knot
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The four-in-hand knot is a method of tying a man's necktie. Also known as a simple knot or schoolboy knot, the four-in-hand is believed to be the most popular method of tying ties due to its simplicity. Some reports state that carriage drivers tied their reins with a four-in-hand knot, whilst others claim that the carriage drivers wore their scarves in the manner of a four-in-hand, but the most likely explanation is that members of the Four-in-Hand Club in London began to wear the neckwear, making it fashionable. The knot produced by this method is on the narrow side, slightly asymmetric, and appropriate for all occasions.
To tie the four-in-hand knot, place the tie around your neck and cross the broad end of the tie in front of the narrow end. Fold the broad end behind the narrow end and bring it forward on the opposite side. Pass it across the front horizontally. Fold it behind the narrow end again, then bring it up over the top of the knot from behind. Tuck it behind the horizontal pass, and pull the knot snug. The knot can then be slid up the narrow end of the tie until snug against the buttoned collar.
[edit] Other uses
In more utilitarian settings the four-in-hand knot is known as the buntline hitch. It was used by sailors throughout the age of sail for the rigging of ships and remains a useful working knot today. Although topologically identical, when the knot is made in the manner used to fasten a flat necktie it appears somewhat different than when tied in cylindrical cordage for load-bearing purposes.
[edit] See also
- small knot - a lesser known but somewhat simpler necktie knot
- half-Windsor knot - a more symmetric and slightly broader knot
- Windsor knot - a more symmetric and substantially bulkier knot
