in fairness I can't give this tie a 5 star because I would have to hold those for the best ties on the market and this isn't quite at that level (i would rate an XMI 5 stars), however, I am very pleased...I stared at these forever and finally broke down and bought one to test the quality...a little history on me...I love my tie collection and am rather picky...I usually wear: XMI, David Donahue, JW Nordstrom, Robert Talbot, and Bloomingdales Signature Line (another good tie for a lesser price)...this tie arrived and I was shocked that it had a thickness that rivaled very expensive ties...additionally, it knots very well and holds a crease perfectly...I have received quite a few comments about the tie which says a lot...not sure how it will hold up over time as I think it may fray a bit easier than the ones I usually wear and listed but for the money it doesn't matter...since I am so selective about my wardrobe and especially my ties it says a lot that I am buying a few more of these...I think you will be very happy with any purchase you make from this manufacturer!