The naval neckerchief, the navy blue piece of fabric worn around the neck, is one of the images that come to most minds when thinking of Navy sailors. The art of tying the naval neckerchief is just one new skill a new member of the United States Navy must learn. The new recruit must learn to properly roll the neckerchief. Then, it must be properly tied around his neck with a square knot. It sounds simple enough, but you might find you have to practice a few times before you are able to get it tied just right.

Fold the neckerchief in half diagonally, forming a triangle, with the seams on the inside of the fold.

Place your pointer and middle finger of your right hand at the top point of the triangle on top of the neckerchief and your thumb under the neckerchief. Roll the neckerchief over, moving toward the long edge of the triangle, while pinching the point between your two fingers and thumb.

Slide your right fingers and thumb out while sliding your left two fingers and thumb in, with the fingers on top and thumb underneath of the point you just rolled. Keep the point in that rolled position as you do this. Roll the corner again. Swap your left for your right and roll again.

Grab either end of the roll you just started with your hands and continue to roll the neckerchief until you reach the long edge. Pick it up and put it around your neck, under your collar, without unrolling it. Adjust it so the right tail of the neckerchief hangs four fingers lower than the left. Do this by grabbing the right end with the tip at the very bottom of your fist, and tucking it down until the left end is at the top of your fist.

Cross the right end over the left. Bring that longer right end up, under the left, and then through the loop back down over the left.

Cross the long end over the short, again. Bring it up under the short end, and then back down over it through the loop, just as you did the first time.

Adjust the knot so the ends are even. You also need to make sure that the knot in the neckerchief rests at the point of the V in your uniform shirt.