Instagramming Ties Trivia Quiz

Answer: Onassis Knot

The Onassis Knot is a perfect knot to use if you wish to show off the tie itself, rather than any intricate knot. It can be worn anywhere, as proven by Willie Mays when he wore this very knot when he met Barack Obama. This knot may look loose and difficult to maintain, but is actually quite strong and easily tied if you are familiar with a regular Windsor Knot.

The Onassis Knot was so named because it was first seen worn by Aristotle Onassis. It may not have been invented by Onassis, but he certainly brought it to the public eye. Aristotle Onassis was a Greek shipping magnate who lived from 1906-1975.

Answer: Krasny Hourglass Knot

The Krasny Hourglass Knot was invented by Alex Krasny, and is actually fairly easy to tie (though difficult to master). The basic Four-in-Hand knot is simple, but getting the second knot on the bottom to look right, as well as keeping enough fabric to create it, is nearly impossible on occasions, especially for taller people. Wearing a vest may be needed due to the amount of fabric needed to tie the knot.

It often comes out a wee bit short. Fortunately, the knot works well with any tie, and stripes can create interesting patterns.

Answer: Cape Knot

The Cape Knot is a lot easier to tie than it appears. It is essentially the same as a regular Windsor Knot in reverse. The back of this knot actually looks just like a Windsor Knot does from the front. This knot is somewhat flashy, so excessively patterned ties should be avoided, otherwise you may not notice the knot amongst the design of the tie.

In this instance, I used a special tie that uses two fabrics so the cape of the tie could be easily seen. Solid colored ties work marvelously for this knot as well.

Answer: Trinity Knot

The Trinity Knot was originally designed based on the traditional Celtic trinity knot. The triangular design includes three sections, which is quite apparent in the tie's knot as well. The tie is sometimes worn with intent to represent the Holy Trinity of Christianity as well.

The Trinity Knot is a good knot to wear with a striped or solid tie. Solid ties really show off the knot itself, and stripes can create interesting patterns. If tied just so, the stripes of the tie can even create a perfect triangle in the middle of the knot!

Answer: Merovingian Knot

The Merovingian Knot was first known as the Ediety Knot, but was renamed when it was seen in "The Matrix Reloaded" in 2003. In this film, the Frenchman, also called the Merovingian, can be seen wearing the Ediety Knot. Before the film was released, the knot was not that popular. With the release of the film, and with the Merovingian donning this knot, it quickly became known as the Merovingian Knot, and most references to the knot use the Merovingian as the namesake.

This knot works with almost any tie, though excessively patterned ties (such as Jerry Garcia ties) may get a little crazy. In this instance, I've used a special multi-fabric tie to show a nice contrast of design. The best part of this knot is that it makes it look like your tie is wearing a tie!

Answer: Truelove Knot

The Truelove Knot was named after its inventor, Eliot Truelove. This knot is one of the most difficult to tie, and uses a lot of fabric. If you run out of tie material, it may be best to make the tie end short and wear a vest or sweater to cover it up. Because the tie is so difficult to tie, it is often best to keep with solid colored ties or light patterns. Stripes can create neat affects once you become familiar with the knot.

There is even a variation of the Truelove Knot, also created by Eliot Truelove, called the Pinwheel Knot.

When using striped ties, if you can manage to create a Truelove Knot with expert precision and skill, the stripes line up in such a way that a beautiful pinwheel emerges. Unfortunately for you, I am not that skilled to create the pinwheel so the picture I took created a neat squared affect instead.

Answer: Van Wijk Knot

The Van Wijk Knot was created by the illustrator Lisa Van Wijk. Her goal was to create the longest tie knot. While her knot is indeed long, there are other, less common knots that may be considered longer (though some of these knots involve two knots, such as the Glennie Double or Krasny Hourglass).

The Van Wijk Knot is one of the best to wear in an informal setting, because it still looks great with the top button unbuttoned and the shirt loosened up a bit. That's not to say it looks bad in a formal setting; this knot is great for those important business meetings as well. Too, any tie will work with this knot, though darker solids may hide the layers and make it appear like a normal knot.

Answer: Linwood Taurus Knot

The Linwood Taurus Knot was invented by Linwood Darkis, and is named the Taurus Knot because it looks like a bull's head with horns. The knot is not for beginner's, though. It takes a lot of practice and precision not to get the tie tangled up. Wearing this knot is best with a light pattern or solid tie, because the more complex a knot is, the more distracting a high pattern tie can be (stripes can also become dizzying with the Linwood Taurus Knot). Beware when wearing this tie in a formal setting; it is odd enough it may get you some negative feedback. Wearing this knot to a party, however, can be quite the conversation piece.

Answer: Eldredge Knot

The Eldredge Knot was named after its inventor, Mr. Eldredge (not much is known about him). The knot can be difficult to tie, and with thicker ties, you sometimes end up running out of fabric to braid the tie. However, if you have a fairly skinny tie, and you keep the knot very tight, it is possible to braid the tie a step or two farther to create the Super Eldredge.

Due to the knot's beautiful symmetry, it can easily be worn in any setting, whether formal or informal. Most ties will work for this knot, but striped ties and paisley ties are busy enough that the knot can be lost in the chaos. A solid color tie, like the one in the picture, really allows the design to stand out, and is highly recommended.

Answer: Agape Knot

The Agape Knot was designed by Eliot Truelove, and so named after the Greek word for unconditional love. The Greek language actually contains six different words for love, but this knot used the unconditional love found in the Greek Scriptures for the namesake. Even though this tie is very difficult to master, the results are wonderful.

The best part of the tie is the middle. If tied correctly, there is a gap in the center of the tie, and you can use this gap to create unique affects. In the picture, I have put a small piece of fabric inside the tie so it really makes the knot pop. You can put almost anything in the middle; I've worn this knot with coins, paper currency, candy wrappers, cufflinks, ribbon, and all sorts of things. What's causing the different design in the middle of the tie can be quite the conversation piece (and this is also why solid colored ties are recommended, so the middle piece can stand out).