Www.fourinhand.com

[A Harris]

I recently had the opportunity to look at some of FIH Tie's merchandise, so I thought I'd post my impressions here: Coats - I think they are an excellent value at retail. Not canvased, but not $4000 either. I'm not overly concerned about canvas vs. fused front when it comes to overcoats, as to me they are primarily functional - the function being to keep me warm and protect my suit. I especially liked the dark navy double breasted model. The Columbo wool/cashmere fabric was nice. The buttons were corozo (vegetal ivory) like most quality Italian coats, and the pick-stitching was a nice detail. Â Â Suits - also a good value at retail. Fused front, though the quality of the fusing is pretty good. They compare well with designer suits such as Boss that cost several hundred more. The styling is pretty nice. I didn't get to try one on in my size, but they seem to be cut fairly slim, with a high buttoning position, lightly padded shoulder, and single-pleated pants. They have a welted lapel (inset pick stitching) which is a detail that I like. Scarves - I've never owned or worn a scarf before, but these looked very nice. Ties - Self tipped, with a keeper cut from the tie fabric, good quality liner, nice fabric selection. They knot well too. So once again, a good value at retail - they are a definite improvement on most everything in the $50 range. I bought # P44421-Orange from him. A stunning tie. Wore it last weekend and got about a million complements - more than any other tie I've ever worn, with the exception of a light green with silver polka dots Ike Behar I have. I know that a lot of you bargain hunter's out there aren't going to get excited over these items (of course, I can't even seem to get you excited over Castangia suits for $599

) but for those readers who are looking to pay a (reasonable) retail price for a suit or coat or tie, these could fit the bill nicely.

 

[jcusey]

To un-hijack this thread... I've recently ordered a couple of items from FIHTies. One was a navy twill four-fold tie with white pin dots:

The other was a navy merino polo sweater:

I'm impressed with both items. First, the tie. When I say that the tie is a four-fold construction, I mean that it's what the Italian manufacturers usually call seven-fold: it's lined, folded over on itself, and folded four times. It's the same sort of construction that you would find from Kiton. This one has a gaudy white saddle stitch. Silk twill often comes in for criticism on this forum, but I happen to like it. There's room enough in the world for both twill printed ties and woven ties. In any event, the twill in this tie has a soft and chalky hand. It ties a beautiful knot and drapes well. A very fine effort. For those of you who have tried Chuck's Carlo Franco ties, this tie is equivalent in construction and quality to Chuck's Como series ties. FIHTies also has some regularly-constructed ties and some true seven-folds. It looks to me that the principal difference between Chuck's ties and FIHTies's four-folds and seven-folds is the aesthetic of the silks that each select. Both have good ties, they're just different. On to the sweater. I like merino polo sweaters in the winter as casual wear. They're light enough for Houston winters, and I like the way they look. It's easy enough to find a good one for $250; less than that is a bit challenging. I've previously bought the Brooks Brothers version, and I haven't been altogether happy with them. They're not as soft as I would like, they're too baggy, and they tend to pill with wear. Enter FIHTies's rendition. It falls in price between the Brooks Brothers version and the Gran Sasso version that just about every independent men's retailer has, and I think that it is superior to both. It's fully-fashioned, of course, and the knit is tighter, harder, and smoother than either BB or Gran Sasso. In addition, the fit is snugger without being too tight. I also like the fact that it's sized and not just the standard S/M/L/XL. If it had shell buttons, it would be perfect. Is it the equal of the $250 versions out there? Not all of them, no. Is it a darn good sweater for the money? Absolutely. Highly recommended. Also worth mentioning is that FIHTies's service and responsiveness to my many anal questions were outstanding. And no, I'm not affiliated with him in any way.

 

[A Harris]

I like that tie.. Good choice.

 

[Nick M]

Time to add my two cents. My first order, hopefully of many, was this tie:

To cut a long story short, I received it today, and it's great. Apparently it's from JJF's first batch of ties, so it lacks the self-tipping, and has a thinner lining than some of the others. But when it's on, no-one will be looking at the tipping, so that's not a big concern to me. I like my ties in a Windsor, and this tie makes a great one, forming a perfectly triangular knot and dropping into a long dimple with no effort on my part. I love the texture of the silk, too. To echo the other posters, JJF's customer service is top-notch - he kept me updated on the transaction and shipping every step of the way, and was very keen to ensure I was happy with my purchase - which I am. I'll be buying from him again, I'm sure of that - there's quite a few more ties, some scarves, and a sweater that appeal. JJF, any chance you'll offer some patterned sweaters in the future?

 

[FIHTies]

Time to add my two cents. My first order, hopefully of many, was this tie:

To cut a long story short, I received it today, and it's great. Apparently it's from JJF's first batch of ties, so it lacks the self-tipping, and has a thinner lining than some of the others. But when it's on, no-one will be looking at the tipping, so that's not a big concern to me. I like my ties in a Windsor, and this tie makes a great one, forming a perfectly triangular knot and dropping into a long dimple with no effort on my part. I love the texture of the silk, too. To echo the other posters, JJF's customer service is top-notch - he kept me updated on the transaction and shipping every step of the way, and was very keen to ensure I was happy with my purchase - which I am. I'll be buying from him again, I'm sure of that - there's quite a few more ties, some scarves, and a sweater that appeal. JJF, any chance you'll offer some patterned sweaters in the future?

Thank you both JCusey and Nick M for the really nice and appreciated words. (And a special shout out to Raley for the attempted hijack... Â

)(LA Guy...Not an Organic Process, more like an epidemic Â

 ) Nick.  To answer your question (and JC's in a PM) yes, we will eventually be doing less classic and more patterned in both Colors and Styles but I had to start off in the traditional colors of Blacks/Navy's/Charcoals/Burgundy's and Ecru's.  Shell buttons are in the future as well, just lets pray for the Euro to come down a bit. Again, thanks for the words and feel free to call on me if you think I can help with anything. JJF PS:  Shirts arriving, hopefully tomorrow

 

[discostu004]

yo, how long/wide is this scarf: http://www.fourinhand.com/Product....1-WP-BG what is the fabric composition? tryin' to help a brotha out

 

[FIHTies]

yo, how long/wide is this scarf: http://www.fourinhand.com/Product....1-WP-BG what is the fabric composition? tryin' to help a brotha out

Can I wait till I get into the store tomorrow or do I have to do this from memory? (I confess...I CANNOT.)

Will PM ya tomorrow. Thanks. JJF

 

[drizzt3117]

Ordered a tie from FIH and got it quickly, nice tie. Great communication too.

 

[jcusey]

Based on my positive experiences with the tie and the sweater from FIHTies, I decided to try one of his new shirts. I selected a light blue twill with a robin's egg blue and brown overplaid:

This picture doesn't really do the shirt justice. Go to the website and view the larger picture. Fit Very good throught the body and arms. It's not too tight, but it's not a tent, either. It's close enough to the body for it not to be too blousy but not so tight that the front gaps open when you sit down. The collar is a bit too tight, tighter than usual for the size. I'm considering going up to the next collar size, and if you consider ordering, you ought to discuss the matter with Jonathan. Collar and Cuffs They're stiff, which I like. They've got to be able to keep their shape, and if they're thin like they are on shirts like Kiton makes, they're not going to do it. I think the double button cuff is a nice touch, although I'd like it better if the cuffs were about 1/2 inch wider. Buttons The shirt ships with thin mother of pearl buttons. Notice that I said "thin", not "embarassingly flimsy." For a modest fee, Jonathan will ship you a set of honking thick ones, if that's what you prefer. I think that the thin buttons are fine, but I would prefer if they were 7/16" or 1/2" in diameter instead of the 3/8" that come with the shirt. They're attached with the chicken's foot pattern that you see on a lot of Neapolitan shirts. I don't know if it's any more effective than a cross stitch, but it sure does look good. Fabric Great hand and lustrous appearance. It's beautiful, and I don't think that the pictures do it justice. Construction Overall, very good. The only two gripes that I have are the double-needle side and sleeve seams and the lack of pattern matching at the shoulder. Otherwise, it appears to be a well-made shirt, although a few more stitches per inch couldn't hurt -- if I'm counting correctly, I believe that the shirt has around 16 per inch. 20 or 22 would be better. Design I'd prefer a chest pocket (stop throwing things at me. That's my preference) and a French front rather than a standard front placket. Other than that, the shirt is very good. I especially like the length of the tail -- it's not going to come untucked. Overall, I'm very pleased with the result. It's not a Lorenzini, but it's not priced like one, either. It compares favorably with a lot of luxury shirts out there, however, and offers a considerably better value. And, since we've been discussing the death of service recently, the level of service that Jonathan offers is superlative.

 

[water]

Any chance you will start carrying solid colour ties? For some reason I seem to have a hard time finding quality solid colours at a decent price.

I know you mentioned earlier in the thread that you might be going in a "less classic" direction, but I wanted to raise a cheer in favour of classic solid colour silk ties.

 

[jcusey]

Any chance you will start carrying solid colour ties? For some reason I seem to have a hard time finding quality solid colours at a decent price.

Every so often, you see a mini-resurgence of solid ties, whether in their knit, satin, or Ottoman weave form. Ben Silver always has a nice selection, but I would much rather buy from Chuck or Jonathan -- you'd get a better tie and better service for the same money or less.

 

[FIHTies]

Thanks all for the wonderful comments... Pardon the bump..It was unintentional...(but I cant say I mind

) Just wanted to add Marc237's comments as well. http://www.styleforum.net/cgi-bin....;t=6710

Recently had the pleasure of purchasing three ties from Jon. Â Had planned on only two, but selection exceeded judgment. Â The selection of fabrics, colors, and styles is wide and deep. Â I have worn two so far (not at the same time) and am quite pleased. The process is wonderfully decadent - A box of ties was delivered to my office. Â I mulled over the selections for a couple of days. Â I then shipped back (at Jon's cost) the ones I was not able to keep. Â (I has asked for ties that would work well with various shades of brown.) Â If only all my shopping involved so little shoe leather. Jon is a pleasure with which to work.

 

[TimelessRider]

Another satisfied customer here. Purchased a beautiful tie and scarf from FIH and I'm very happy with the decision. Jonathan is super-communicative during the ordering process and is an absolute pleasure to deal with. Tie Scarf

 

[jcusey]

Tie

You got the burgundy one, I got the green one. As always, it's a great product, and Jonathan's a great guy to deal with. I'd yammer on, but I've already yammered enough on this topic. If you don't believe me by now, you never will.

 

[Dutch Master]

To FIHties,

The tie you sold to Nick M seems a perfect candidate for the Styleforum tie, the color appears to be perfect.
Please refer to my post on the Styleforum tie thread.