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In an article published in 2006, Jeff Lock, noted Colonial Instrument Collector and Repair Person, said it best:

"When I first laid my eyes on the Lewis Michael compass illustrated here, words could not describe the emotions I felt. I was looking at one of the most beautifully engraved examples of the 18th-century maker’s art. I have been collecting colonial antiques for decades and had never seen an example of craftsmanship that touched me on a personal level as did this instrument."

See the entire article by clicking here.

The Lewis Michael compass offered here is nearly identical to the one featured in Lock's article. To my eye, this compass qualifies as a work of art.

As described in my Lewis Michael Instrument Maker's Webpage, Lewis honed his skills working for Benjamin Rittenhouse as an apprentice in the mid-1780s. If you look thru the BR compasses, you will see some that show a strong resemblance to the compass offered here.

Interestingly, Lewis Michael made instruments over at least 4 decades, and he rarely changed the look of his compasses. This compass was likely made around 1830 when Lewis Michael lived in Somerset. The vernier on this compass is one of the earliest vernier designs, and was likely designed by the Rittenhouses in the 1780s while Lewis Michael worked for them. The vernier reads to 5 minutes.

The compass features a 14 inch mainplate, a 5.25 inch needle, and sight vanes standing 6 and 7/8 inches tall. The compass has a nicely functioning chain counter that runs between 0 and 16. The compass also has two functioning levels in the compass face.

The vernier screws are skillfully made reproductions, as is one of the thumbscrews.

The compass comes with its wonderful staff adapter and a loose fitting cover for the compass face. There is no box.

This compass is a wonderful example of a colonial era compass made by one of the most skilled engravers.