The dark water of a storm can easily confuse and confound a boat sailing on the ocean. GPS is a great deterrent of this situation in the modern world, but sailors of old had more trouble. A navigator was the one the crew relied on to get them out of the storm itself. Navigators relied on a combination of maps, bearings, and sextant work in order to determine which direction to sail to get out of the storm. The compass was a vital tool in determining these paths. Compasses were and still are unique tools that point directly north despite the direction they may face. People who lived in older times and those who live in modern times both are helped by the directional certainty of the compass. Those who travel a lot will always bring a trusty compass with them.

In today’s world, many antique compasses are used as both display items and traveling gear. In terms of decoration items of age and vintage, antique compasses are among the items that age the best. This graceful aging is most likely due to the quality of the make as well as the metal strength. Because many antique compasses were originally crafted to be in the hands of rugged travelers and sailors, they were built to last. Metal that was sturdy and often double-plated was popular. Crafting antique compasses from silver or brass was very much favored in craftsmen circles.

Oftentimes, antique compasses made for the sea were different from those intended for land use. Tempering the compass’s metal proved beneficial when the compass was used on the sea - sea salt corrosion was much less likely to occur. Ocean antique compasses were also often made from brass rather than any other metal, as brass resisted sea water rust very well. On these maritime compasses, wood was used as a fresh accent to fit the theme. In order to prevent sea compasses from slipping out of pockets, chains were attached to their bodies.

Mountain based compasses, however, were crafted to resist frost, magnetic disruption, and falls. The needle of a compass could be misled by magnetic ore so common in mountains of the time, and crafters turned to sealing the compass’s insides with rubber to prevent this error. For many, these items led them to safety in times of danger in the mountains. In bright sunlight, the metal of this item could easily reflect the light back a dozen times stronger, and therefore draw attention to the hiker’s position. Stories from the times of settlers and the old west speak of this exact method being employed by train robbers during their heists.

Being embossed or carved with letters is almost a given for these antique compasses. These carvings could be anything from a name to a date. Pictures were sometimes implanted in the top portion of the compass so that they could be seen when the item was opened. The subjects in these photos were almost always people.