Brass Nautical Pocket Compass

A brass pocket compass in the classic marine style — hinged lid, engraved cartouche, a printed rose reading the full 360 with the cardinal points picked out in red. The brass has the color of old honey and the soft glow of something carried in a pocket and rubbed clean a thousand times. The Rhyses found it at a Poulsbo marine swap meet in a box of odds and ends; the needle is lively and settles true, which is all you can really ask of a compass. Whether it rode a boat or a hiker’s rucksack, it’s the sort of small solid object that feels good closed in a hand.