We get a lot of questions from customers about what makes a handmade silk tie special and what the different components are. To help answer those questions, we put this little guide together to help explain the different parts of your perfect silk tie:
Seam: Around half way up the tie is the seam. This is where the fabric from the tail of the tie meets the fabric from the blade. Reek Knots silk ties have two seams. When the tie is worn, the seams are not visible as they are hidden beneath the collar.
Interlining/Interfacing: This is the lining of the silk tie and what gives the tie it's weight. Interfacing is generally made of brushed wool and its thickness will add bulk to the tie.
Tail: The tail is simply word to describe the thinner end of the tie.
Slip Stitch: Perhaps the most important aspect in making a quality tie. Handmade ties are sewn together using one single stitch. This is a loose stitch that can be seen by gently pulling back the folds of the tie. The looseness allows the tie to flex and stretch, improving the quality of the chosen knot.
Keeper Loop: This is an extra piece of silk fabric that is designed to keep the tail of the tie in place when worn.
Label: This is the manufacturers label, which may include some further provenance information. It is not designed as a keeper loop as it is generally just tacked on.
Logo: High quality silk ties may have a logo or graphic printed into the silk on the tail of the tie. As well as allowing the wearer to subtly display the manufacturers name, it also helps to show that each piece of silk has been specifically printed as as tie, rather than fashioned from a larger piece of fabric.
Blade: The blade is the word to describe the wider end of the tie.
Bar Tack: The bar tack holds the two sides of the tie together and on some ties (like ours) is visible on both the tail and the blade. This is a heavy stitch and helps support the slip stitch.
Tipping: This is the lining that is sewn into both the blade and the tail of the tie. Reef Knots silk ties have tipping made from our signature printed silk.
Care & Origin Label: This is a small label in the tail of the tie that will give you further information of the tie's provenance and the how best to look after it. For further information on how to clean a silk tie, please see our blog post on the subject (CLICK HERE).
