1 Introduction

So... You need a bow tie?

And you're a woodcarver? Well...

OK, not many of us need bow ties these days, but it might happen - it happened to me! and it could happen to you. Or a friend, who'll need your help. And now that I've got one and it's proved to be a great conversation piece, I'll be inclined to wear it elsewhere. Why not have a go at this fun, fairly straightforward project and freshen up your sartorial elegance.

In this introductory workshop I encourage you to dig into the undergrowth and research this interesting species of ties. We'll look at the benefits of making a simple model and converting it into a working drawing. Choosing a suitable wood is important, so we'll look at that and holding the piece ready to start carving.

Note on holding: Have a look at the next video before deciding on this. I'll be using a patternmaker's vice, which holds the backing wood to which the tie blank is 'paper sandwiched'. The vice enables me to get at the edges without awkward bending. If you don't have one of these, before you paper sandwich the tie blank to the backing board you may like to screw the backing board itself to the end of a short, square post. This post in turn in you grip in your ordinary bench vice and thus gain a good working height. Just a thought!

Related Videos

• 'Paper Sandwich' method of holding work