Have you ever worn a bow tie? A lot of men prefer this style of tie over the standard four-in-hand tie, but bow tie wearers are not in the majority. In fact, people who wear bow ties are a distinct, but well-dressed, minority.

My experience with bow ties is largely limited to the times I've worn a tuxedo. And in those cases, I didn't have to tie the bow. I simply hooked the tie together at the neck, moved the band so the hook was hidden, and it looked like I knew what I was doing.

I can't actually tie a bow tie so that it looks like anything other than a ridiculous mass of material around my neck. I can tie a standard tie in my sleep, but a bow tie eludes me. Until recently, I didn't even know someone who could properly tie a bow tie. Now I know several people. Interestingly, most of the people I know who can tie bow ties are women.

The sole reason I know people who can tie bow ties is because they work for a company in Fort Mill that makes bow ties, R. Hanauer. The business is located in Tom Hall Plaza and they make some of the finest bow ties and men's clothing accessories in the United States.

R. Hanauer started business in 1986 by making pocket squares. Pocket squares are specially-sized handkerchiefs for use in the breast pocket of a suit coat. Normal handkerchiefs are sized 18 inches square, while a pocket square is 15 inches square. As Randy Hanauer, the founder, says, "pocket squares are for show, not blow."

Hanauer has been a manufacturer's rep for men's clothing and accessories since 1972. He noticed that only normal handkerchiefs were available for suit breast pockets, which often created a bulkier look. He hired a lady in Charlotte to make his pocket squares and added them to his line of men's accessories.

Initially, he picked up the handmade pocket squares once a week in Charlotte. Over the weekend he would press and package them on his dining room table. On Mondays he would ship the squares to fill the orders from the prior week.

The homespun aspect of his business continued until his seamstress in Charlotte went back to Germany to visit friends and relatives. Unfortunately, her visa had expired and she could not return to the United States, forcing Hanauer to locate a new source for making his pocket squares. A tailor shop in Rock Hill then took over the work.

Initially, the pocket squares were white. He added madras and cotton paisley patterns and thought they would make nice bow ties. That prompted him to add bow ties to his product line, which also led him into using silk for many of his products.

Hanauer admits that he wore bow ties before he started producing them, but not frequently. He now wears them exclusively. The company currently makes pocket squares, bow ties, cummerbunds, ascots, and finely tailored men's vests. All of their products are handmade, in house, to order. R. Hanauer is also the only source of nylon watch bands in the United States.

In 1989, about one week after Hurricane Hugo romped through our area, Hanauer opened his business in Tom Hall Plaza in Fort Mill. All operations were moved to that location and they started manufacturing in house. His wife Jayma runs the operations of making the products, shipment, quality control and administration. Randy handles the pattern selection, pattern coloring, marketing and selling. The company employs eight people.

R. Hanauer makes about 20,000 to 25,000 bow ties annually. It is one of three companies in the United States that produces high-end, top-quality bow ties.

Patterns are selected from the finest silk mills in the United States and Europe. Randy then specifies the colors for each pattern. All of the fabric patterns and colors are exclusive to R. Hanauer ties, and striped patterns make up about 40 percent of their total stock.

R. Hanauer ties are worn by many famous people. They are sold nationwide through fine men's clothing stores. Generally, Randy finds out a famous person is wearing his bow ties by seeing him on television and recognizing the pattern. Tucker Carlson, Mister Rogers, and Drew Carey are among the people Randy has seen sporting a bow tie from R. Hanauer.

If you want to look well dressed and distinctive, consider a bow tie. And remember that some of the best are made right here in Fort Mill.

Bill Henson is a technical writer and marketing copywriter living in Rock Hill. You can reach him by e-mail at writer@cetlink.net.