Our one-stripe lacing set for United States Merchant Marine (USMM) uniforms is available in gold or silver lace and comes in a single 30-inch roll, more than enough to cover both sleeves of a dress or service uniform jacket. The stripe should be placed on the sleeve so that it’s bottom is two inches from the end of the sleeve.
Though largely based on U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard conventions, the system of rank insignia and titles employed by USMM vessels can vary between ships and companies because they are not owned by the U.S. government, and some companies opt for silver stripes instead of gold for aesthetic purposes.
The title associated with a single stripe in the Merchant Marine will vary by the department in which the wearer serves and how many grades are in the department, e.g., Third Deck Officer, Third Assistant Engineer, or Steward.
Note: The gold stripe may be worn on U.S. Maritime Service uniforms, but Merchant Marine stripes do not include configurations equivalent to Lieutenant (junior grade) or Lieutenant Commander. We recommend USMS customers visit our Navy Lacings page for a complete array of lacing sets for ranks O-1 to O-10.