Old Brooks Brothers tie from eBay--lining does not extend down into the bottom 3.5" of the tie. What

[astrocyte]

I ordered an old BB foulard on eBay and received it today (I don't know how old--it has the older black keeper with "Brooks Brothers Makers All Silk Made in the USA of Imported Fabric" in white lettering and it is 3.25in wide). I was surprised to discover that the lining stops about 3.5" above the tip of the tie, leaving only thin and very flimsy silk below this point. I'm not really a big fan because it feels so unsubstantial. Two questions:

1. Is this a thing? Why is it done? All of my other ties, BB or otherwise, have linings that go all the way to the bottom.

2. The keeper appears to have been re-stitched back on. We're talking BB, not Hermes, here and I only paid $4 for the thing, so I seriously doubt that someone was trying to con me but is it possible that this is a cheap partially unlined (to save what...10 cents of wool?) tie with a BB label sewn on?

Just curious...like I said, I paid $4 for the thing so I don't care if it is a ****** tie...I just want to know why it is made this way.

 

[Zarium]

It's normal. I don't have any BB ties that are constructed in that manner, but I have a PRL that is. Some of the finer ties you may handle will also feature hand-rolled edges, in tandem with an unlined and untipped blade.

The keeper probably got loose and was restitched.

 

[YRR92]

Are you talking about wool interlining or the silk/poly lining?

I don't think I own more than two or three ties where the wool interlining extends to the bottom of the tie. They aren't my nicer ties, but they are some of the newer ones. Some are downright cheap, actually.

Ties with only the outer material at the tip (often with handrolled edges) are, in my experience, either serious vintage or pricey Italianate luxury ties.

 

[astrocyte]

Are you talking about wool interlining or the silk/poly lining?

Thank you for the replies. It has a silk lining to the bottom, but without the wool this means there are only two very thin layers in the bottom of the tie making it very unsubstantial. Seems like it is just going to fly all over the place when I wear it. Is this a common and/or desirable type of construction? I am a noob and I don't have much experience, but all of my other ties (mostly BB/J Press but also a Charvet) all seem to have wool to the bottom which (in my uneducated opinion) gives them some weight so they hang properly.

 

[cptjeff]

I notice no difference in mine as to how they hang or move, and I have numerous examples of both styles. As far as I can tell, the main difference is just in look- the silk just looks a little more natural and less puffed out, and that's neither good or bad. Which is why you'll see both from the same maker, it's just a matter of how the designer was feeling at the time. Actually, now that I think of it, it might be a trick to reduce wear- when you're untying the knot, the thickest part takes the most force to pull through, so the sides of the tip take some friction, and you'll sometimes see ties worn thin or with holes down there. Take the wool out of the tip, and there's less material to pull through, so less friction, and thus less wear. No idea if that's the real reason, but it just kinda hit me as a thought.

As for the keeper, they come loose on occasion, I've had to restitch them before. Nothing to worry about there.

 

[ThinkDerm]

photos please

 

[YRR92]

Thank you for the replies. It has a silk lining to the bottom, but without the wool this means there are only two very thin layers in the bottom of the tie making it very unsubstantial. Seems like it is just going to fly all over the place when I wear it. Is this a common and/or desirable type of construction? I am a noob and I don't have much experience, but all of my other ties (mostly BB/J Press but also a Charvet) all seem to have wool to the bottom which (in my uneducated opinion) gives them some weight so they hang properly.

It has never made a difference, in my experience.

 

[astrocyte]

I have been on a bit of an old school BB tie eBay binge lately and I have received two more ties in the same style as the one in my question. I like these two much better and I can see what you guys were saying about how it doesn't make much of a difference. I think that the first tie must be either really old or made of a particularly thin silk because the tip just seems very frail. The other two do not seem frail at all despite there being no lining in the bottom few inches. I guess at eBay prices if I like 2 of every 3 ties I get, I'm still getting a good deal. Thanks for the help.