The first time I used it the little magnifying lens in the eyepiece popped out without even touching it! Luckily I found it and managed to superglue it back into place. Also, the compass seems very slow to respond to positional changes, as if over dampened or under magnetized. Although it feels very sturdy with the nice metal case, I have a plastic compass that works better. This is more of a showpiece than something I would want to be relying on when lost in the woods.

The compass arrived quickly and in good shape. The compass is a persion instrument that works quite well

This compass handles very poorly compared to other manufacturers. The pin for the lid is cheap and the hing will likely break. The card (actual compass part that spins) wobbles a lot so it's difficult to get an exact bearing. It is like the oil in the compass is very thin. Also, the direction line lid spins easily, making it possible to take a bad reading. Ironically, this is the Silva weakness as well.


If you need an inexpensive engineer style compass, consider the Silva. For a two more dollars, you get an aluminum case, a hinge that won't break and a card that doesn't wobble with the slightest hand movement.

I must admit I like it. The compass is very precise and the brass case feels nicer to hold than a plastic case. Outside of that, the compass does and feels like it should. I would, however, recommend a cheaper plastic cased compass for those who don't use a compass that often. Enough said.