Compass

William Oakes

William Oakes

Member
I have acquired this compass.
I'm quite certain that it is a replica.
It is rather large, almost 4 inches across and well made.
The auction site that i purchased it from listed it as a Will and Finck compass.
They didn't provide any other information.
I'm curious to see if the brain trust in this group can shed any light on this item?
Thanking you in advance for your consideration!
 

Attachments

  • Titanic Compass 1.jpg
    Titanic Compass 1.jpg
    61.3 KB · Views: 250
  • Titanic Compass 2.jpg
    Titanic Compass 2.jpg
    51.8 KB · Views: 138
  • Titanic compass 3.jpg
    Titanic compass 3.jpg
    54.5 KB · Views: 137
  • Titanic compass 4.jpg
    Titanic compass 4.jpg
    82.9 KB · Views: 135
Steven Christian

Steven Christian

Member
William Oakes said:
I don't disagree.
I wonder why I don't see more of this one....
Click to expand...
They made a lot of different commerative compasses for Titanic. But none the less it is a good looking compass. They did well on the antique look and looks too big to have gone thru a goose so give them credit for that.
 
I

Ioannis Georgiou

Member
I remember that I saw such a compass at auction on ebay long time ago. Possibly it was this one. However looking at the plaque it looks as if someone made it and put it on it. Might be that the compass is genuine and they plaque was put up later or even to make money.
We have seen all this happened before. At the moment there is one guy who is selling genuine silverware but had engraved on each a WSL flag claiming to be from Olympic at first and now that they were from White Star Line.
 
Steven Christian

Steven Christian

Member
A question for you mariners...would a crew man or bridge officer even use a pocket compass like the one pictured? Wasn't there a fixed compass they used for taking siteings? Or did they use the pocket ones with their sextants? If this is going off topic for the thread please move it...thanks.
 
William Oakes

William Oakes

Member
Great question.
My only thought is that a pocket compass might be handy in the event of an emergency, in the boats.
 
Georges Guay

Georges Guay

Member
Hand held compass were only used in the army ...
 

Attachments

  • $(KGrHqUOKowFJLeP,ew+BSZ9QPh,FQ~~60_3.jpg
    $(KGrHqUOKowFJLeP,ew+BSZ9QPh,FQ~~60_3.jpg
    24.1 KB · Views: 123
Georges Guay

Georges Guay

Member
Just to give you an idea, I wanted to buy that shipbuilder plate. The only problem is that they would let it go for 20,000us dollars, taxes, insurance and shipping excluded!!! When you talk about Titanic related genuine artifact, you better be wealthy ….
 

Attachments

  • builder plate Harland Wolff.jpg
    builder plate Harland Wolff.jpg
    52.3 KB · Views: 149
Steven Christian

Steven Christian

Member
Yes crazy prices and I'm sure somebody bought it. When they tore down the power plant I worked at there were all kinds of large brass info plaques on the boilers and everything GE made had GENERAL ELECTRIC cast aluminum or brass plaques on the equipt. Probably 90% pf those ended up on the scrap pile. Nobody even thought to save them. Didn't know at the time but there is a market for that stuff. Collectors eat that stuff up. I saved one large one that came off one of the main generators. Its on my shop wall. Figured I was due a trinket after 30 years there. I've been offered a good chunnk of change for it but won't part with it. I gave a few smaller ones I had grabbed to fellow employee's when we left.
 
Last edited:
Top