Even after years of practice, tying a necktie can still feel like a test of patience. Getting the length right, centering the knot, and avoiding that odd bulge under the collar often turns into a small battle before breakfast. That’s why a short clip posted to Reddit’s r/oddlysatisfying recently stopped people mid-scroll. It showed a method so quick and seamless that thousands began rethinking everything they knew about tying a tie.
It looks like a party trick, but it’s stylish and efficient. The short 19-second clip by Reddit user u/bigbusta racked up over 12,000 upvotes in days. It featured a woman wrapping the wide end of a tie twice around her forearm, threading it through, and pulling out a neat knot. With one smooth tug, she slid the tie off her arm, placed it around her neck, and tightened it in seconds.
A Viral Trick With Real Technique
A demonstration of how to use your arm to easily tie a necktie
byu/bigbusta inoddlysatisfying
This so-called shortcut actually relies on solid knot mechanics. According to seasoned tie enthusiasts who chimed in on the thread, the move creates what’s called a small knot, also known as the oriental knot or Kent knot. It’s one of the simplest and quickest styles to master, usually taking just a few motions to complete. It’s clean, functional, and gets the job done. This “arm method” follows the same structure as the oriental knot, only off the neck.
By using the arm as a form to measure length and tension, it pre-sets the knot before it even touches your collar. The technique can take a little practice, as Reddit users noted the first few tries might leave one side shorter than the other. But once the length feels right, it’s consistent every time. It’s especially handy for people dressing others, like grooms or parents helping kids, because the tie can be pre-tied without choking anyone in the process.
Before it became an internet sensation, this same trick had been promoted as a foolproof way to help groomsmen tie their ties quickly on the big day. The method is simply to rest the wide end along your forearm to your elbow, wrap twice, thread through the top loop, and shake out the knot. You’ll be done in under 10 seconds. The arm tie lets one person prepare several ties without redoing each one on someone’s neck.