Wow, I am surprised the Pratt knot isn’t getting more votes. It’s simple, symetrical, and the knot is neither too big or too small. As a moron, knot simplicity is important to me; I can tie any knot but I can really only remember how to do a four in hand, or a Pratt. Also the Pratt is cool because it starts inside-out.
-Four in hand: Too small, and it’s asymetrical.
-Half windsor: The second best knot. Not too big. Harder to get right than the Pratt, though.
-Windsor: Yeah huge knots are cool, if you’re my dad in the 80’s.
-Bow tie: get out.
-Bolo ties: If I could get away with wearing a bolo, I would.
Four-in-hand when I’m out for fun, half windsor if I’m going for a more formal look. Occasionally a bolo tie. I am wearing a bolo in the photo gallery shot.
Heh. I’ve never worn a tie in any occasion that I would describe as “out for fun.” Weddings, funerals, business meetings, court, meeting someone’s parents, … nah, not “out for fun,” definitely.
Generally speaking, a half-windsor, but I do have a couple of ties that won’t do a half-windsor well, so it’s a 4-in-hand with them.
I learned how to tie my ties with a 4-in-hand, and subsequently learned the half-windsor, but tend to associate the full windsor with my father’s 1970s era insurance company wardrobe, so I’m not such a huge fan.
I tend to think the 4 in hand is kind of a… juvenile tie knot. It’s the one that 15 year old boys learn on, so as a 39 year old guy, I’m looking for something that doesn’t look like a 4-in-hand, and the half-windsor is the best option for me.
I used a four-in-hand in grad school and my first couple of years working. I then learned to tie a half-Windsor, and used it for the next thirty years. A year ago I learned to tie a full Windsor*, and have used it since almost exclusively (I have a couple of ties that are too short for the full deal, so I still use the half on occasion).