All Tied Up

A couple of weeks ago, my dad pulled out some old neckties from his closet so there were over a hundred neckties lying around. Father set aside the ones he still intended to use, then let MacGyver and RD pick out the ones they would like to use in the future. RD had just recently worn a necktie to the 75th birthday celebration of his paternal grandmother so he was thrilled to go through the sea of neckties. Both he and MacGyver picked out two or three they wanted to keep.

Once upon a time, I knew how to tie a tie. (In my mind the instructions went something like left over right ... over ... under ... through ... I forget.) If my memory serves me right, I believe I was the one who tied the necktie of one of my College batchmates who was with me as we started our training program at the bank on our first day of work. (At this point, I can't imagine this friend of mine not knowing how to tie a tie, but that's what I remember, I distinctly remember helping him tie his necktie on our first day. He'll probably deny it and say I imagined the whole incident.)

Serendipitously, I picked up this book The Boys' Book: How to be the Best at Everything which belongs to one of my brothers and found How to Tie a Tie among the How To's listed in the Table of Contents. These were the instructions found in page 52.

How to Tie a Tie

Lift up your shirt collar and put the tie round your neck so that both ends hang down at the front. The wide end should hang about 30 cm (1 ft) lower than the thin end.

1. Cross the wide end over the thin end near the collar, then take it round underneath the thin end.
2. Bring the wide end over the thin end again and back underneath. Push it up through the back of the V-shape made by the partially formed knot.
3. Bring the wide end forward (i.e. away from you) through the V and down through the front loop of the knot.
4. Hold the thin end and slide the knot up to your neck. Hold the knot and with the other hand pull on each end of the tie until the knot is tight.

I immediately handed RD one of the ties he had selected then read out the above instructions. I figured this is one of the things a young boy ought to know. MyGirl got all excited and pulled out a necktie for herself.

The two of them worked at it until they were able to get the tied up look. MyGirl was able to do it first then eventually RD caught on. When I got my turn with the necktie, I said that this was not the method I had known before.

At this point, we called MacGyver to the rescue. HE surely knows how to tie a tie.

True enough, his method was more like the one I used to know. This was how he was taught by his father and this is what he has taught GI. He walked all three of us through the steps and the kids were thrilled. The kids tied and untied their ties until late at night. And in the morning, they showed it off to Father and Mother.

How to Tie a Tie (revised edition)

Lift up your shirt collar and put the tie round your neck so that both ends hang down at the front. Wide side on the right, hanging about a foot lower than the thin side.

1. Cross the wide end over the thin end near the collar, then take it round underneath the thin end.
   
2. Bring the wide end through the front of the loop of the knot in a downward fashion. It will be like tucking the wide end under your chin through the existing loop.
   
3. Upon creating the initial knot, place the wide end on the right side of the knot and take it across toward the left side.
4. Bring the wide end through the loop of the knot, this time from below in an upward direction.
5. Slip the wide end through the created 'V' and down through the front loop of the knot.
6. Hold the thin end and slide the knot up to your neck. Hold the knot and with the other hand pull on each end of the tie until the knot is tight.

To untie this knot, simply pull the thin end out away from the knot. The wide end should unravel itself once the thin end is out.