Marinella 7-Fold

The tie billed as a sevenfold by most of the Italian brands (Kiton, Borrelli etc.) is actually a lined sixfold.

The lined sixfold is a better constructed necktie in most people's opinion. A true sevenfold tends to crumple at the tip, wrinkles like hell in the knot area, and lacks the weight to drape well.

A true seven-fold is made from one large piece of silk and unlined and untipped. The only company that I am certain sells them today is Carlo Franco. I have never seen a true seven from Marinella, Kiton, Attolini, or even Talbot. Mimmo Spano used to have some (very few) when he was in Bergdorf, but I have not seen them in his Saks location. However, Marinella will still do a true seven bespoke, and I have seen that in rare instances.

True sevens tend to require very dense, heavy silk, and even then may not necessarily be the best bet for wear and durability. I will give Carlo Franco credit for the quality of the silk they use on their true sevens. It as close to kevlar as silk can get.

I assume by six-fold Will means the same thing that I have always heard termed double-four-folds. I too prefer this construction and most of my "seven folds" are in fact double fours. These are made from two pieces of silk, not one (a typical tie is made from three), and are lined and tipped.

Arnys' Cravates d'Atelier are also true seven-folds. Charvet has a few in a drawer that would do Chuck Barris proud and they also make them to order. The Arnys ones even feature a hand-rolled edge.

Rubinacci still does some true 7-folds, and a ton of unlined ties that are very nice. I actually prefer the sfoderata ties that you find in Naples to the 7-folds. They have more visual interest to me. There is one company in Naples that does a 12-fold tie. It also has a little gold chain inside to which you can attach a "corno" to keep the evil spirits away. While that sounds lame and tacky (which it is), the company, Ulturale, actually makes very beautiful ties from extremely conservative silks. All of the "real" 7-folds I have seen have been unlined and untipped, but made out of two pieces of silk to keep the small end from getting too bulky.

Charvet ties -- especially the silk -- are so delicate and prone to fraying and wear that I have to wonder how well that works out.

Sam Hober/Mulberrywood also does true 7-folds.

So far, my two bespoke 7-fold Charvets are working out fine The silk is fine so it makes for a less hefty knot than other wovens or 7-folds.

The Arnys 7-folds really are very nice.

Up until the 1960s or so the better British shirtmakers like Edouard and Butler and Budd would make their ties unlined and folded.

The ones at Arny's are beautiful. IIRC, they had several grenadines made up that way. The cufflinks are also stunning, especially the Ivory ones.

The Arnys cufflinks appear to be made by Trianon. Astonishingly, depressingly expensive.

What I call a sixfold is Mulberrywood language for the construction Manton calls a double fourfold.

I went through a sevenfold period a couple years ago, starting with Kiton, Bulgari, finding Carlo Franco and then ordering bespoke from Charvet and later Mulberrywood. The ties that draped all turned out to be lined sixfolds/double fourfolds. Bulgari had by far the best drape but most of the patterns are not for me.

David at Mulberrywood worked with me to arrive at a lined sixfold that drapes as much like a Bulgari as possible. He and Noira are a treasure.

Best silk, too, but alas, the designs ...

I agree that Chuck's ties are exquisite. They look a lot nicer in actuality than those photos on his website. For better piccies and some observations on their quality for the new entrant to seven fold ties, might I recommend:

http://www.filmnoirbuff.com/article/...-fold-we-weave

This is unnecessary. Please refrain. - Fok.

On second thought.