The Balthus is an absolute monster of a tie knot. It takes nine moves or “passes” to complete, and has four “centers” (loops around the central body of the knot). The Balthus was named for its inventor, an eccentric Polish-French painter. He claimed to have developed it out of boredom, but did not wear the knot with any regularity. Sometimes known as “The Cousin of the Full Windsor,” it requires a very long tie. In addition, the creator’s intent was for the tie immediately below the knot to be quite wide, more than most men wear their ties. Men who want the full Balthus effect should position their knot so that the tie beneath it is already near its full width. Needless to say, this is striking – and requires a very long tie that widens quickly.