Brass Pocket Compass engraved for him

Crafted for Adventure: Personalized Brass and Timber Compass

Introducing the perfect gift for the adventurer in your life: the personalised brass compass.

Our compass is precision-turned on a lathe, hand-assembled, filled with damping oil to keep the needle steady in your hand, and then sealed for life to be leak-free with temperature and pressure changes. The mechanism is then permanently embedded into specially selected hardwood timbers which are extremely solid, heavy and durable timber that engraves deeply with any wording you'd like etched into your compass.

Our compass is specially designed to ensure that it does not cause any magnetic interference so that your compass accurately points to magnetic north. You may see a small air bubble inside the compass, which allows for the expansion and contraction during temperature and pressure changes.

We have taken great care to build a reliable, high-quality instrument that will last you a lifetime.

Personalisation: We'll engrave the recipient's name around the outer contoured edge on the front of the box, and can fit around 9 lines of text on the inner lid. You're welcome to choose your own font from dafont.com or send us a black and white picture of your own handwriting and we'll engrave this for you. Let us know what and where you'd like us to engrave when you place your order and what font you'd like to use if choosing your own font.

Please note that the displayed message is an example only, you'll need to specifically request that message, otherwise, the inside of the lid will be blank. Give the gift of adventure and precision with our personalised brass compass.

Compass balance:
Depending on which region you're in, you may need to tilt the compass slightly. For example, Canada or South Australia is quite close to the magnetic poles, so you'll need to tilt the compass so the needle can freely spin. We are not currently balancing this design for particular magnetic zones. This compass is intended for hiking and camping. It is not intended for Nautical or Aviation purposes.

Current Timber Species:

• Hickory (Australian Hickory / Spotted Gum) -
  (This species is currently being replaced by Intsia of similar colour and hardness as we have exhausted our hickory timber supply. The Intsia has no finger joints - just solid beautiful timber.)

Crafted from a large panel of solid jointed timber, this is our most economical option. The solid timber pieces are finger jointed and butt jointed together to form a large panel of wood that we cut your compass from. Depending on where the unit has been cut from, a finger joint may be present.

• Intsia Hardwood.
  Intsia is a dark brown timber which is incredibly tough and durable. It is used as a very long lasting outdoor timber, perfect for crafting compasses from. It can have golden coloured mineral deposits in some of its grains, which adds to its character and uniqueness.
  
  
• Beech Hardwood.
  All the way from Europe, this is one of our favorite timbers to work with. Its a light coloured timber, which is strong and engraves with incredible detail and contrast.

• Cypress (Callitris / Australian Cypress)
• Sandalwood (Western Australian Desert Sandalwood)
  
• Camphor Laurel
• Burdekin Plum
  
• Ebony - Macassar

Crafted from a solid chunk of timber that we process down from the fallen tree itself.
After years or drying out, we process these timber species down into workable blanks to craft your compass from. There are no joints present in this option as they are cut from a large solid piece of timber one at a time.
These options cost higher as there is much more time and effort involved and this method is not as efficient. The results are well worth the effort to craft a unique compass that a master craftsmen would be in awe of.

Both Cypress and Sandalwood smell incredible!
Cypress has that old log cabin smell that takes you to a lakeside cabin in the woods.
Cypress will naturally surface check - small cracks on the surface of the timber. This is completely natural and not a manufacturing defect.

Sandalwood has a refreshing sweet candy smell that lasts for years on end.
You won’t take just one smell of the sandalwood; you'll be holding your compass up to your nose breathing in that sweet unique perfume for minutes.

• Sandalwood is one of the most valuable timbers on earth. When the farmed trees are taken, they are completely uprooted and sold along with their root balls to extract all of their essential oils from to make perfume.

• Burdekin Plum is a highly durable and strong type of Australian Hardwood that is known for its resistance to decay and water, making it an excellent material for constructing our compasses from. The wood is harvested from dead wind fell trees in Northern Australia and has a beautiful deep red-brown color with a fine, even texture that gives it a visually striking aesthetic. Due to its natural resistance to water and rot, our compasses made from Burdekin plum is highly suitable for use in outdoor environments, where it will be exposed to the elements. The strength and durability of the wood make it ideal for creating a sturdy and reliable compass that will withstand the test of time. 

 • Camphor Laurel. Brisbane is fortunate to have an abundance of Camphor wood, which grows as a weed species. This exceptional-looking and fragrant timber is the perfect choice for crafting a compass housing. With its unique colors and unforgettable scent, often described as fresh, earthy, and eucalyptus-like, Camphor wood is highly prized and is even used in the production of perfumes and soaps. While not as hard as other timber species, Camphor wood remains highly durable and will withstand regular use with ease. Its slight wear and tear only add to the rustic charm of this exceptional material, making it an excellent choice for crafting a compass that will be both beautiful and functional.

• Ebony - Macassar. Macassar Ebony is a majestic wood of exceptional beauty, prized for its rarity, durability, and unique characteristics. It is a type of extremely dense hardwood that comes from Southeast Asia and is known for its deep, rich black-brown color with striking streaks of light brown. This wood is incredibly dense, heavy and hard, making it an ideal material for crafting excuisite compasses from. Macassar Ebony is also resistant to decay and is exceptionally durable, ensuring that any compass made from this wood will last for many years. However, due to its rarity, Macassar Ebony is quite expensive and difficult to obtain. Despite this, the wood remains a valuable and unique choice for crafting a compass that is both beautiful and long-lasting.

Size:
70x70x36mm

True North vs Magnetic North.

Magnetic compasses are designed to point towards Magnetic North, which is different from True North. True North is the top part of the Earth's rotational axis and is the reference point used on most maps. However, Earth's magnetic field does not align with its rotational axis, which is why a magnetic compass will not always point to True North.

Digital compasses, such as those found on mobile phones, are able to display True North by automatically applying a correction called magnetic declination. This correction is based on the user's location, and it's important to note that the deviation between Magnetic North and True North is normal and not a fault of the compass.

When using a magnetic compass for navigation, it's important to keep in mind that it will always point to Magnetic North. If you're using True North as a reference point, you will need to manually apply the declination correction for accurate navigation.

Magnetic Compass Trouble Shooting:

Compass needle stuck or not reading correctly?
There are several potential causes for this issue, but here are some troubleshooting tips to help you resolve it:

1. If your compass needle becomes dislodged during transit or a rough journey, you can try gently tapping the base of the compass on a hard surface to reseat the needle. This should only take one or two taps to fix the issue.

2. If you notice that your compass needle is sticking to the glass window, this could be caused by static electricity buildup. This is often caused by the back and forth wiping action when cleaning the lens.

There are two ways to eliminate the static electricity from your compass:

a. You can place your index finger and middle finger of the same hand on either side of the lens. This has an effect of dissipating the static electricity from the lens, allowing your needle to spin freely again.

b. Another way to remove the static electricity from your compass is to clean the lens in a circular motion, instead of a back-and-forth motion. Make one circle clockwise, and then one circle anticlockwise. Repeat this cycle until your lens is clean. This will neutralize any static build-up caused by the cleaning rag.

3. If you're using your compass on a table top and the needle is not indicating correctly, it could be due to steel, iron beams or screws in the structure of the table or other sources of magnetic interference like desktop speakers. In this case, try moving away from these sources to see if the readings improve.

4. If you're in an area close to the magnetic poles, such as Antarctica, Norway or Tasmania, the compass needle may be attracted to the poles at an angle almost underneath you. In this case, try tilting the compass to get the needle to spin freely.

If you've tried these troubleshooting tips and your compass is still not working correctly, please contact customer service for further assistance.

Navigating with Confidence: A Comprehensive FAQ on How to Use a Magnetic Compass

Q: How do I use a magnetic compass?
A: Using a magnetic compass is relatively simple. First, hold the compass level and steady in your hand. The direction of travel arrow on the base of the compass should point towards the direction you want to go. The rotating housing, or bezel, is marked with degrees and is used to align the compass with a map. To take a bearing, rotate the housing until the north-seeking arrow inside the housing lines up with the orienting arrow on the base plate, and read the bearing off the bezel.

If your compass does not have a rotating bezel, you can still navigate with it using the following steps:

1. Hold the compass level and steady in your hand. Make sure the direction of travel arrow on the base plate is pointing towards the direction you want to go.

2. Align the compass with your map by orienting the map so that the north on the map is pointing towards the north-seeking arrow on the compass.

3. Once the map and compass are aligned, use the direction of travel arrow on the base plate as a guide to follow your desired bearing.

4. As you travel, periodically check your compass and adjust your direction as needed to stay on course.

It's important to note that without a rotating bezel, you will not be able to take precise bearings. However, you can still use the compass to navigate in a general direction.

You can also use a compass app in your smartphone, this apps usually have a compass with a rotating bezel, and you can use the map to navigate.

Q: How do I navigate with a magnetic compass?
A: To navigate with a magnetic compass, you will need to take a bearing from your current location to your destination. This is done by aligning the compass with a map and rotating the housing until the north-seeking arrow lines up with the orienting arrow on the base plate. Once you have your bearing, you can then follow that direction to reach your destination. It's important to keep in mind that a magnetic compass will always point to Magnetic North, so you may need to adjust for declination if you're navigating with True North as your reference point.

Q: What is the difference between True North and Magnetic North?
A: True North is the top part of the Earth's rotational axis and is the reference point used on most maps. Magnetic North is the direction towards which the north-seeking arrow of a magnetic compass points. The Earth's magnetic field does not align with its rotational axis, so True North and Magnetic North are not always the same. This deviation is called magnetic declination and it can vary depending on your location.

Q: How do I adjust for magnetic declination?
A: Magnetic declination can be adjusted for by adding or subtracting the declination angle from your compass bearing. The declination angle can vary depending on your location and can be found on a map or by using an online declination calculator. When navigating with a magnetic compass, it's important to keep in mind that it will always point to Magnetic North, so you may need to adjust for declination if you're navigating with True North as your reference point.