I should have paid closer attention to the measurements in the description.  It's too short to fit across the width of my fireplace.  I would have liked it to be a few inches longer.   Also my mantle has some layered edges so doesn't fit as snug as I would like.  BUT, it works so I'm using it.  I didn't want individual hooks for each of our 5 stockings and this does the trick.   The pole is pretty much a curtain rod.  It's 2 pieces, one end slides into the other so one pole is slightly skinnier.  All in all a fair buy for the price.