Okay.  This post has damn little to to with TAS, or TradIvism or whatever, but I'm beginning to feel left out of the Inner Circle so I gratuitously used the forum's favorite thread moniker.

Today, I'm on about back blade.  You know, the skinny end of the tie.  Yes, I know that for you TradIvists both ends are skinny, but normal ties widen out a bit more in the front.

For about a year or so, I've been giving the ends of my tie a good yank and twist counter-clockwise after knotting to expose some back blade.  Sometimes this makes just an edge peek out or the whole thing or it even gets turned completely around.  This might sound like a complete affectation given that the tie never just comes out in this mock-sloppy state.  Nonetheless, I do it in the spirit of self-effacement.  As a country musician once crooned, "Oh Lord, it's hard to be humble when you're perfect in every way."  So, I thought I'd better mar the perfection just a wee bit.

As it turns out, people have a difficult time dealing with the blight on my otherwise polished presentation.  Reactions range from those who just squint at the offending bit of backblade and blink as though doing so will make it go away, to those who will, without so much as a "by your leave," grab me tie and attempt to reorder the thing.  Alas, my assailants are typically not lisome ladies of easy virtue and I'm left feeling a trifle violated.

In the face of it, I refuse to give up this little affectation.  It suits me, but then a frequently wear bow ties, so I like a bit of disorder in my neckwear.  Anyone else yank their blade, or do all of you keep it safely hidden away?  Does the Trad-Ivy Man expose his backside?