Value Grenadine: Kent Wang vs. Sam Hober vs. Other?

[Rugger]

Looking to buy a bunch of Grenadines, mostly solids to start. Which retailer would you go with? Others I've seen in similar price ranges are Charles Tyrwhitt and Chipp.

Thanks for any thoughts?

 

[dieworkwear]

If you only care about construction quality, it would be hard to beat Sam Hober for value. His are bespoke and handmade from top-end materials, have wool interlining, etc. And they cost a fraction of what many RTW brands charge.

If you want something decently made, but want it as cheap as possible, I would go with Chipp (disclosure: the advertise on a site I work for). Theirs are made in NYC and come from a company with some Ivy Style provenance.

That said, the enjoyment you may get out of a tie can come from various things. Maybe a certain company speaks you in some way; maybe it has some kind of branding or backstory. Maybe you like the whole la dolce vita mystique of Southern Italian style, so you want a tie from one of those companies. Maybe you admire Drake's, but can only afford to spend $150.

Ultimately, it's just a tie. Get something in width and length that works for you, and that's within your budget. I think the differences between these companies are somewhat small, compared to the differences you may find in suits or shoes.

 

[dluce76]

I did this (get a bunch of solid Grenadines in go to colors) and went with chipp. Definitely don't regret it one bit.

 

[Claghorn]

Sam Hober, if only to work with David Hober, one of the nicest guys you’ll encounter in online retail.

 

[varsityreds0123]

Hober. Kent Wang is not even in the same league as Hober.

 

[Spark]

I have ties from both. It’s Hober by a mile or two.

This is no knock on KW - it’s a very, very solid product at that price point and there are a million ways to do worse. But there is a decidedly different feeling of fit/finishing/drape that Sam’s ties have. Buy a navy, black, and a burgundy and you’re set for the next 20 years.

 

[Thin White Duke]

Sam Hober, if only to work with David Hober, one of the nicest guys you’ll encounter in online retail.

This is true but the same can be said of Paul Winston at Chipps. A lovely fella whom I’ve met in person a few times.
My own personal advice is don’t get a black grenadine. I got one for about $45 from Paul (garza fina) a few years ago and probably won’t wear it until I next go to a funeral. Many people on SF claim that it’s among the most versatile ties but I just don’t get it and would reach for a dark blue / petrol blue / navy blue a hundred times before thinking of the black.
YMMV on this.

 

[FlyingHorker]

If you only care about construction quality, it would be hard to beat Sam Hober for value. His are bespoke and handmade from top-end materials, have wool interlining, etc. And they cost a fraction of what many RTW brands charge.

If you want something decently made, but want it as cheap as possible, I would go with Chipp (disclosure: the advertise on a site I work for). Theirs are made in NYC and come from a company with some Ivy Style provenance.

That said, the enjoyment you may get out of a tie can come from various things. Maybe a certain company speaks you in some way; maybe it has some kind of branding or backstory. Maybe you like the whole la dolce vita mystique of Southern Italian style, so you want a tie from one of those companies. Maybe you admire Drake's, but can only afford to spend $150.

Ultimately, it's just a tie. Get something in width and length that works for you, and that's within your budget. I think the differences between these companies are somewhat small, compared to the differences you may find in suits or shoes.

The bolded nails it. I was shocked to find out how much menswear oversold "tie quality" between the various popular brands, especially compared to the difference between a pair of cheap sneakers and an entry level welted shoe.

I've bought from Tie Bar, Chipp, and Hober.

I haven't had any issues with quality with any of them, and my Tie Bar tie still ties the best knot out of all 3.

 

[FlyingHorker]

Hober. Kent Wang is not even in the same league as Hober.

I have ties from both. It’s Hober by a mile or two.

This is no knock on KW - it’s a very, very solid product at that price point and there are a million ways to do worse. But there is a decidedly different feeling of fit/finishing/drape that Sam’s ties have. Buy a navy, black, and a burgundy and you’re set for the next 20 years.

Mainly comments like these. It feels like a borderline lie when people mention such hyperbole for ties.

 

[varsityreds0123]

The bolded nails it. I was shocked to find out how much menswear oversold "tie quality" between the various popular brands, especially compared to the difference between a pair of cheap sneakers and an entry level welted shoe.

I've bought from Tie Bar, Chipp, and Hober.

I haven't had any issues with quality with any of them, and my Tie Bar tie still ties the best knot out of all 3.

Confusing ability to tie the best knot with quality is a fallacy of epic proportions. No hyperbole intended - it’s as simple as that.

 

[FlyingHorker]

Confusing ability to tie the best knot with quality is a fallacy of epic proportions. No hyperbole intended - it’s as simple as that.

What is defined as tie quality?

The quality of silk for all 3 of my ties has not been an issue.
The interlining is different in all 3, Hober's being the thickest and tying the fattest knot.

 

[Thin White Duke]

IIRC there are only a couple of factories in Italy which create grenadine silk woven fabric so the provenance is likely the same regardless where you buy it from, the only difference then is the construction.

 

[Claghorn]

My Hober, Panta, and Exquisite Trimmings grenadines knot better than my Kent Wang and Shibumi ones (though the Shibumi ties are wool-silk, so not a fair comparison). No experience with Chipp, though as TWD highlighted, I hear good things about the owner.

 

[norMD]

IIRC there are only a couple of factories in Italy which create grenadine silk woven fabric so the provenance is likely the same regardless where you buy it from, the only difference then is the construction.

Still it is probably possible to order grenadine in different qualities from those factories.

 

[lemmy127]

The bolded nails it. I was shocked to find out how much menswear oversold "tie quality" between the various popular brands, especially compared to the difference between a pair of cheap sneakers and an entry level welted shoe.

I've bought from Tie Bar, Chipp, and Hober.

I haven't had any issues with quality with any of them, and my Tie Bar tie still ties the best knot out of all 3.

We have drastically different experiences with The Tie Bar then. I got probably a dozen of their ties early on when I was first into menswear, and the only ones that make a halfway decent knot are the silk knits... and they have the problem of the weave pulling very easily. The normal and fake grenadine ties make garbage knots compared to my Hober, Drake's, Chipp, Kent Wang, and Brooks Brothers ties.

I would rank my grenadine ties' quality as such... 6-fold Sam Hober > Drake's > Kent Wang > Chipp. It shouldn't come much of a surprise that if you switch the Hober and the Drake's positions, you would also get the order of most to least expensive.