# How to make a bow tie using a neck tie



## JM (Feb 27, 2011)

Whenever I visit a thrift store I look for bowties but haven't found any...so I got to thinkin' it should be too hard to make one from a regular tie. I did a search and found the following.

[video=youtube;EySeRY7hKUs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EySeRY7hKUs&NR=1[/video]

It works, kind of...just play around with the knott. Narrow ties work best.

jm


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## sdesocio (Feb 28, 2011)

Id just get one of these. Its done by the wife of an ARP pastor I know. Very quality stuff. TheCordialChurchman &mdash; Handcrafted Freestyle Bow Ties made in South Carolina. Choose your style.


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## Marrow Man (Feb 28, 2011)

sdesocio said:


> Id just get one of these. Its done by the wife of an ARP pastor I know. Very quality stuff. TheCordialChurchman &mdash; Handcrafted Freestyle Bow Ties made in South Carolina. Choose your style.



 but I think her husband, Andy Stager, used to be on the PB. Haven't seen him in a while though.


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## Philip (Feb 28, 2011)

sdesocio said:


> Id just get one of these. Its done by the wife of an ARP pastor I know. Very quality stuff. TheCordialChurchman &mdash; Handcrafted Freestyle Bow Ties made in South Carolina. Choose your style.


 
 As a customer, I can attest that Ellie's work is on a par with just about anything you could buy in a store. You can also send neckties to her to be converted to bow ties (in the style of your choice, I might add).


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## nicnap (Feb 28, 2011)

Go with the Cordial Churchman ... you can even send in your tie and she will turn it into a bow tie.


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## JM (Feb 28, 2011)

Are they pre-tied? One from that site costs as much as four of my other bow ties.


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## Marrow Man (Feb 28, 2011)

JM said:


> Are they pre-tied? One from that site costs as much as four of my other bow ties.



Click on the FAQs. She says that they are not ordinarily pre-tied, but she will pre-tie them for a small fee so that your friends don't find out. 

Those are some sweet-looking ties. I don't wear bow ties, but this might make me rethink it. If the Missus is reading this thread, get some Clan Cameron material and get her to make me a custom tie. That would make a great birthday present.


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## JM (Feb 28, 2011)

The use of "freestyle" threw me, I'm used to calling them self tie...I'd never wear a pre-tie. The wool bow ties look nice and maybe if I was going to splurge I'd buy one.


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## Marrow Man (Feb 28, 2011)

I suspect the seersucker ones might go well with some of the presbyters at our General Synod. Benjamin, are you getting all this?


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## JM (Feb 28, 2011)

I'll take a seersucker tie when it's hot but most of my silk ties work well.


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## Philip (Feb 28, 2011)

JM said:


> Are they pre-tied? One from that site costs as much as four of my other bow ties.


 
For the quality you're getting, 26 bucks is cheap. The stuff I have from her easily equals the workmanship of brand-names like Brooks Brothers or Jos. A. Bank. Plus she sends a handwritten note with each order---that's the Protestant work ethic in action.


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## JM (Feb 28, 2011)

Thank you for the testimonial. I could ask the little Gospel Hall lady who has done work for me in the past to take a crack at making a bow tie.


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## Tripel (Feb 28, 2011)

For all of those considering using a real tie to make a bow tie (like in the video above), let me offer a bit of helpful advice: Don't do it.

They make bow ties for a reason. Get a real one and tie it like a man.


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## JM (Feb 28, 2011)

Tripel said:


> Get a real one and tie it like a man.


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## Marrow Man (Feb 28, 2011)

How about this website? They have the bow ties in the Scottish Clans, and they are "pre-tied" with adjustable neckband (no jokes about manhood -- I've eaten entire wasabi clumps before!  ).

Tartan Online - Bow Ties - Essential tartan accessories and gifts


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## ARStager (Feb 28, 2011)

Hi All--

I've got to give props to the gent in the video for his ingenuity. 

Thanks to those who spoke kindly of The Cordial Churchman. You might be interested to know that my wife's two employees are also pastors' wives. One is a local ARP and former missionary; the other one is a Reformed Baptist church planter wife. 

JM---I'm curious where you can get 4 bow ties for $26. 

Tim---Let me know what color seersucker you want and I'll pile on a generous clergy discount / ARP discount and bring it along to Synod for you. I might even just make you buy me an ice cream cone at the Nibble Nook and call it even. ;-)


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## Backwoods Presbyterian (Feb 28, 2011)

Marrow Man said:


> I suspect the seersucker ones might go well with some of the presbyters at our General Synod. Benjamin, are you getting all this?



Oh yes...


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## JM (Feb 28, 2011)

ARStager said:


> JM---I'm curious where you can get 4 bow ties for $26.



I tend to buy used ties but I've bought from Silk Solutions on Amazon.com and they offered bow ties for around $10 bucks brand new.


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## Philip (Feb 28, 2011)

I bought from those types of places when I started with bow ties and quickly discovered that they were either a) too big for my face (anything larger that 2 1/4 inches tall starts to look clown-like) b) prone to unravelling after a couple of wears. I've thrifted a couple, ebayed a couple, and ordered one or two, but the bottom line is that the el cheapo options just haven't worked (apart from the few times when I actually found one at the thrift).

If you're willing to pay five bucks more, thetiebar has good quality ones for 15 bucks each (as I said, they don't fit my face, though I need to try one of their slim ones).


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## JM (Feb 28, 2011)

P. F. Pugh said:


> but the bottom line is that the el cheapo options just haven't worked



Sorry to hear it hasn't worked for you...


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## DMcFadden (Feb 28, 2011)

Tripel said:


> For all of those considering using a real tie to make a bow tie (like in the video above), let me offer a bit of helpful advice: Don't do it.
> 
> They make bow ties for a reason. Get a real one and tie it like a man.



After more than five decades living in denial, I realized that if you are a nerd, you might as well wear the uniform of the nerd. I wear bow ties 5-6 times weekly and have not tied a windsor knot in more than 3 years.

The "like a man" part still applies to bow ties: freestyle ONLY and ALWAYS. Only a wimp wears a pre-tied bow tie. A real man always ties his own tie!


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## Marrow Man (Feb 28, 2011)

ARStager said:


> Tim---Let me know what color seersucker you want and I'll pile on a generous clergy discount / ARP discount and bring it along to Synod for you. I might even just make you buy me an ice cream cone at the Nibble Nook and call it even. ;-)



Deal!


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## Marrow Man (Feb 28, 2011)

DMcFadden said:


> Only a wimp wears a pre-tied bow tie. A real man always ties his own tie!


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## Tripel (Feb 28, 2011)

DMcFadden said:


> I realized that if you are a nerd, you might as well wear the uniform of the nerd.



There's nothing nerdy about bow ties. Only the pre-tied (or "fake") variety are nerdy.


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## Philip (Feb 28, 2011)

DMcFadden said:


> After more than five decades living in denial, I realized that if you are a nerd, you might as well wear the uniform of the nerd.









Bow ties are cool! See, even the Doctor thinks so!



> Only a wimp wears a pre-tied bow tie. A real man always ties his own tie!





I've avoided bow ties here in the UK (mostly just to blend in), but when I'm stateside I wear them about 50% of the occasions where I wear ties.


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## Tripel (Feb 28, 2011)

P. F. Pugh said:


> Bow ties are cool! See, even the Doctor thinks so!



the Doctor?


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## Philip (Feb 28, 2011)

Tripel said:


> the Doctor?



Doctor Who. British sci-fi television show that's been running off and on since the 60s.


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## SRoper (Mar 1, 2011)

sdesocio said:


> Id just get one of these. Its done by the wife of an ARP pastor I know. Very quality stuff. TheCordialChurchman &mdash; Handcrafted Freestyle Bow Ties made in South Carolina. Choose your style.


 
She needs a tie called "the Pediatrician."


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