I love old brass stencils bearing evocative words and phrases and am always looking for them, good for hanging like signs and fun to situate. This one I was delighted to find this week in Manchester, NH. I have 100% never come across a stencil reading FIRE-CHIEF before, and curious that hyphen, too. As these were typically used for stenciling crates, and most often apple crates, it occurred to me that perhaps Fire-Chief was the name of an apple variety; I can't find that to be the case, but there are Red Chief apples, and with Fire suggesting Red, perhaps this was an earlier name for them or a related heirloom variety. Or perhaps it labeled a crate that bore the grand helmet of a Fire Chief! Whatever the case, quite a resonant pair of words, joined into one, and with an apt feeling near black patina to the brass.

10 1/2" x 3" t. Very good condition, very rich patina.