Ties always look great with a pin, it just adds to the classy look of a tie. Especially if you are attending a function or a event where you want to dress up and look the part. But will the tie pin damage your tie?
Here Is 3 Ways A Tie Pin Will Damage Your Tie:
Tie pins will damage your tie and it will happen if you use one. The main ways are by:
Snagging the fabric of the tie
Leaving it for too long on the tie
& making a permanent hole in your tie
Below we will discuss these factors of how a tie pin will damage, and some great solutions and alternatives you can try instead (so your ties don’t get wrecked).
Ways A Tie Pin Will Damage Your Tie
Snag The Fabric
A snag is one of the easiest ways to ruin a tie because it messes up the whole shape of the piece. The fabric threads may rip or break where they are most vulnerable – for example, at a stitch that attaches to another fabric thread – and create tiny holes in your expensive silk ties.
A tie snag is caused by one of the following:
1. If you are not wearing your tie with a collar pin, your tie might get caught in a chair back or doorknob during the day. Or, you might wear a tie without a collar pin but then get it snagged on something while working out at the gym or taking a walk with your kids. Snags can happen wherever and whenever.
2. If you have thin ties, it is easier for them to get caught in things than if you have a thicker tie with more weight and fabric.
3. If your tie is too long, it will get caught on things as you walk by and be pulled out of its normal shape.
4. Ties with a satin finish are likelier to snag than ties with other finishes like silk or wool.
5. If you wear a tie that is too voluminous for your body type – for example, if you have a small head, wearing a gigantic bow tie – it will get caught on things easily because it is so large.
6. If you store your ties in a knot, they may snag each other when they are not worn.
7. If you use coat hangers instead of proper tie racks, the metal in the hangers may catch on to your tie and get it a little bit snagged.
8. If you want to wear your favourite tie every day, you should wash the piece regularly so it stays soft and does not snag easily.
Left On The Fabric Too Long
Whether your tie will remain pristine is entirely up to the individual’s ethics and buying habits. One thing is sure: leaving a tie pin on your suit for too long could lead to irreversible damages that extend far beyond scratching off the stitching from your tie or even ripping fabric apart entirely.
The reason for this is because the pins which are used are made from hardened steel. While that might not appear like a significant deal to some of you, it is one of the primary reasons why you might opt to use synthetic ties instead. Those pins used to be made from rubber and plastic materials, eventually dissolving over time because of wear and tear.
Further, if the tie pin is left on the fabric too long, it will damage your tie. This is because people apply pressure to the front of their body when they sit down and stand up, creating friction. Sooner or later, this friction causes wrinkles in your fabric, and these wrinkles can cause permanent creases, which will destroy tightly woven material like silk or wool.
Make A Permanent Hole
If you prefer to make a permanent hole in your tie pin for easier use, then prepare for some significant regret because this will drastically damage your tie.
You will no longer be able to wear it for formal events or any other important function, and the only thing this does is make your life more difficult.
Most people who decide to do this on their own accord quickly learn that there is no quick fix for the situation. They end up spending more than what it would have cost to get a new tie pin in the first place.
Solution for a tie pin
Use A Tie Bar Instead
Tie bars are the solution to your tie that gets unravelled easily. Tie bars are thin pieces of metal with loops on the ends that fit into buckle holes on the ends of your tie. They bear weight on both sides, holding the tie together and protecting it from damage. You can carry one in your pocket or keep it at work as an extra safety measure.
The size of your tie determines the kind of tie bar you need. Either get a bar the same width as your tie’s buckle holes or just slightly wider. Hold the tie bar up against your tie and lay it across the holes, then check to see how much spare metal you have on either side. The goal is to leave no more than inches between the metal and your knot. If there is too much metal, you can file it down or cut it shorter until there is enough space for your desired knot size.
When wearing a tie bar for the first time, ensure it can bear weight evenly on both sides before tying up your knot. If you do not, your bar could become loose or fall out of place, causing you to lose it.
While most tie bars are stainless steel, they can rust over time, especially when exposed to water. It is an appropriate idea to coat the bar in oil or wax before putting your tie on to prevent that from occurring. After a few years, your bar will stop rusting and look as good as new. If you want to be extra careful and keep it shiny for longer than a few days, consider investing in a stainless steel tie bar that is dishwasher safe or made from high-quality leather.
Whether you opt for a leather tie bar or stainless steel, you will also need to consider your buckle hole choice. The bolt holes at the end of your tie can be grouped into different configurations that determine which way your tie bar is oriented. Generally, there are two ways to attach a tie bar:
When wearing a heraldic tie, the point at the centre of the knot is considered the strongest. If you want to place the strongest side against your shirt and ensure that nothing comes undone, choose a bar with four evenly spaced bolts along one side. That allows you to choose which side’s buckle hole gets more pressure.
A banker’s knot has a centre hole that will allow your tie bar to push down on both sides of the knot is roughly the same amount. In this case, you should not attach a tie bar toward the centre of your tie. An upside-down pattern with either two or four bolts works fine here.
Finally, some ties have only one bolt hole in the middle and no other options for attaching a tie bar. For these patterns, attaching a bar so that its centre gets more pressure is still practical because you are not likely to have excessive slack in your knot.
