Four in hand knot: how to tie the everyday tie knot

What the four in hand knot looks like and when to wear it

The four in hand makes a narrow, tapered knot that leans slightly toward one side. Tie makers describe it as mildly asymmetrical, and that lean is part of its character rather than a flaw. It is taller than it is wide, which is why it looks at home with slim ties, narrower lapels and collars whose points sit fairly close together. Because it has only one wrap around the narrow end, it also releases cleanly when you loosen it.

The name is older than the necktie as we know it. Some accounts tie it to carriage drivers handling four horses, but the most likely story is that members of the Four in Hand Club in London wore their neckwear this way and made it fashionable. It has stayed the default knot for well over a century for practical reasons rather than tradition alone: it is quick, it suits almost any tie, and it uses so little fabric that most ties still reach the belt.

You can wear it almost anywhere a tie is expected: the office, an interview, a wedding as a guest, a funeral, a dinner. Most people notice whether a knot is neat and snug at the collar long before they notice which knot it is. The Tie Bar describes the full Windsor as its most formal knot, so if you want a broad, balanced triangle for a formal wedding with a spread collar, the full Windsor or the half Windsor knot may suit the shirt better. Treat that as a question of proportion and taste, not a rule.

Collars and tie fabrics that suit it

Paul Fredrick recommends the four in hand for button down and point collars, and that matches what you see in the mirror: a small knot fills the narrow gap between close collar points without pushing them apart. In a wide spread or cutaway collar, the same knot can look lost, with shirt fabric showing on both sides. If your only shirt has a wide spread, a larger knot or a thicker tie will usually balance it better.

Fabric changes the size of any knot. The Tie Bar suggests the four in hand for heavier ties such as wool, flannel and spun silk, because those fabrics already have bulk and a larger knot would turn chunky. Knit ties behave the same way. With a thin, lightweight silk the four in hand can look very small; that is fine for a slim look, but if you want more presence from a thin tie, try the half Windsor instead of pulling this knot tighter.

Tall men and anyone wearing a shorter tie also benefit here. The four in hand uses less fabric than the Windsor family, so more of the blade is left to reach your belt. Our guide to how long a tie should be covers where the tip should land and what to do when a standard tie is simply too short.

Set up the tie before the first move

Button the collar and turn it up. Drape the tie around your neck with the seams against your shirt, the wide end on your right and the narrow end on your left. Left and right always mean your own hands, never the sides of a photo taken from in front of you, where your right appears on the left of the picture. Let the narrow tip hang just above your navel, which usually leaves the wide end about a foot (30 cm) lower. Your height and the length and thickness of the tie change how much fabric the knot needs, so treat this as a first try you will adjust.

Two openings matter. The neck loop is the space between the tie and your collar. The front band is the short horizontal wrap you will make across the knot. Keep the narrow end mostly still throughout; the wide end does all the traveling.

How to tie a four in hand knot, step by step

Hold each crossing lightly between thumb and finger just below the collar. A firm grip stops the fabric from sliding into place, and a loose one lets the layers drift apart before you have finished.

1. 01

   Cross the wide end over to your left

   Carry the wide end from your right across the front of the narrow end to your left.

   CheckThe two blades form an X just below your collar, with the wide end on top and pointing toward your left hip.

2. 02

   Pass it behind to your right

   Take the wide end behind the narrow end, from your left back to your right.

   CheckThe wide end hangs on your right again, and a single wrap now circles the narrow end.

3. 03

   Cross the front to your left

   Bring the wide end across the front once more, from your right to your left, and slip a finger under this horizontal strip. This is the front band.

   CheckThe face of the tie shows a flat band across the knot, with your finger holding it open.

4. 04

   Bring it up through the neck loop

   Lift the wide end up from underneath, between the forming knot and your shirt, and out through the neck loop above the knot.

   CheckThe wide tip points up at your chin, just above the knot, with the front band still open below it.

5. 05

   Go down through the front band

   Guide the wide tip down through the front band your finger has kept open, then remove the finger. Pull the blade through slowly so it does not twist.

   CheckThe wide blade hangs straight down the front and covers the narrow one.

6. 06

   Tighten and slide it up

   Draw the wide end down gently to gather the knot. Hold the narrow end in one hand and slide the knot up toward the collar with the other, then fold the collar down.

   CheckA slim, tapered knot sits in the collar opening, leaning a little to one side, with no gap at the top button.

Add a dimple and check the length

A dimple is the small crease just below the knot. It is optional, but it helps the blade fall in a slight curve instead of lying flat. Before the final tightening, press a fingertip into the center of the blade just under the knot, pinch the edges around it, and slide the knot up while holding that crease. Stop once the shape holds; a four in hand pulled until it feels rigid loses its taper and becomes a hard little lump.

The tip of the wide blade should land around the middle of your belt buckle, or at the top of the waistband if you are not wearing a belt. The narrow end should be hidden behind the wide one, ideally tucked through the keeper loop on the back of the tie. If you wear a tie bar, it clips the two blades to the shirt placket between the third and fourth buttons; our note on where to put a tie clip explains why.

Fix a lopsided or too long knot

Some lean is normal, but a knot that twists, shows a seam, or bulges on one side has usually picked up a folded layer during the second or third step. Loosen the knot enough to see the wrap, follow the wide blade back to the last flat section, and smooth the turn there before tightening again. If you cannot tell where the fold is, untie and start over; tugging at a knot whose layers you cannot see tends to make the fold permanent for the day.

Length problems have a simpler fix. If the wide tip lands below your belt, untie and start again with the narrow tip an inch or two (3 to 5 cm) lower, so less fabric is left on the wide side. If it stops well above the belt, raise the narrow tip by the same amount. Change only the starting position and keep every other move the same, so you know what made the difference. After two or three tries with the same tie you will know exactly where it needs to start.