The Best of Masonic Regalia

I thought this holiday season it would be in the theme of things to start a monthly article on one of the things I love best, Masonic regalia. I have spent countless hours searching for the very best in Masonic items and each month I hope to share with you what I have found in my search.

One thing you will find when looking at high quality Masonic regalia is the love and craftsmanship that goes into each item. I have yet to find an item of superior quality that does not have a Brother behind it, not a factory or soulless machines cranking out the same thing. You will find a true craftsman designing each detail. That is it what makes our regalia unique, the soul that is placed in it by the craftsmen.

One of the companies I first discovered was Fraternal Ties by Bro. John Paul Gomez of Doric Lodge No. 316, way out in the cold wastes of Canada (like 2 hours from us in Buffalo!). I recall finding him on eBay selling an amazing red silk tie. It was designed to have a very 1800s look that had square and compasses hidden in the design. An amazing tie that I could wear everyday, not too over the top that people would look at it and be taken aback by the design. It is a simple and wonderful design that got me hooked to his work. I have bought all but two of the ties he has made since. I can tell you that with each new tie -- well they just get better.

Bro. Gomez's ties are often very subtle, so one could wear the tie every day and none would be the wiser that it was a Masonic tie. Bro. Gomez’s attention to the art of design has made his ties unique and modern, no silly square and compasses tie over cheap nylon, just high-end fabrics and innovative designs.

He also runs a blog off his website, www.fraternalties.com, where he has many wonderful works of Masonic art he generously posts free of charge as wallpaper for your computer (I can't recall a time I did not have one as my I-Pad’s wallpaper) and articles on his esoteric Masonic muses.

As a lover of the finer things made for Masons, I can tell you that Fraternal Ties is of the finest I have ever seen. Do yourself a favor, be a Mason in style, and wear your light with the dignity it deserves, wear the “tie that binds.”