Compass "Dated 1941"

[billy]

Here are the Compasses x 2 "Dated 1941" which I hope you will enjoy viewing well made and heavy

[Pylon1357]

I like this one. I don't recall as I have seen one all brass. I am more accustom to ones that have been blackened.

Your example appears to be very well made. congrats on this one.

[manchesters]

Billy,

Both compasses you have shown are Pakistan made modern copies that have flooded the UK in their thgouisands for the last 15 years.

There are many variants but all are that type of brass.

sorry.

regards

[Roy]

Hi Billy,

I am no expert on these but for interest here is a photograph of my original example. This model if from pre 1906 and was retailed by Wilkinson.

Cheer, Roy.

[magpie]

It should look like this.

[Eddie Parks]

Agreed - I am afraid this one is a blatant fake. Eddie

[billy]

Hi Gents thanks for your views and taken on board the Blacked Compasses I have seen and associate with the Army this I thought being all brass was of a Naval type?

Until Simon mentioned Indian copies in this type of Brass I considered them to be genuine? they are extremely well made items and would love to compare to a known copy? if anyone posses such a thing?

Well thanks for all the comments and are appreciated and taken on board, wish you all a Very Merry Xmas and Good New Year billy

[manchesters]

Billy,

Just go on ebay, you can compare them to your hearts content, there are regularly hundreds of various styles.

If they were genuine the military would have had to give one away with every pair of boots they issued!

Trust me they are modern tat, I have seen them in their boxes of 50 or more all wrapped in brown paper, exchanging hands at certain UK runway antiques fairs, going back over 10 years.

regards

[btns]

I remember these from old Sharjah souk in the early 1990s.
There were many varieties, but all shared one property: unusable.
Cr*p!

[magpie]

Your compass is a known fake of the black one in post 5 which is made of brass but painted and liquid filled, both are supposed to be MKIII and the same maker so you just have to compare the 2, a compass of this type would be of no use near or on a rather large metal object.
Andy.

[REMEVMBEA1]

Definitely not British military as there is no "crowsfoot" on them and I can't recall seeing any what were known as WO Controlled items , compasses, Watches, Binocculars etc without one and a serial number.

[Luc]

There are a few things to look out for in a good MkIII compass:
They bear the abbreviation of the Grammophone Company, but they were made by Barker hence the B and serial number. The double broad arrow (sold out of service) is best avoided; I have the impression such items were never sold out of service but used until broken and then tossed away. They are filled with a clear oil-like fluid, possibly glycerine. The windrose is made of mother of pearl and they are painted black. A red rubber ring is fitted to the back but often missing.
I have compiled an Excel sheet of the production numbers of the TG Co MkIII realised throughout the war; some fakes are better than the ones shown but I have seen the wrong serial number/date combination so be careful!

A wonderful source of information is the online compass museum.

[Hussar100]

I drew a prismatic compass like this from G10 so many times but I couldn't tell you a thing about them now. Other than to say that Magpie's pic as how I remember them looking - and yes REMEVMBEA1, there should be a crow's foot on the bottom.

There was also an issue watch - in fact there was a serial issue for just about anything you could think of.

[Luc]

This one looks good at first glance. However, the marks are engraved not stamped and this production number was not reached until mid-1943.