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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: bloodben on May 28, 2015, 03:05:03 PM
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Hello. I just found an old compass in my grandfathers basement. I wonder if any of you guys have an idea of how old the compass is and how much or what parts I need to put it together.
I will post pictures. To me it looks like it's missing the needle and one ironcore.
Help will be much appriciated.
OVER:
(http://i58.tinypic.com/9r7uvl.jpg)
(http://i62.tinypic.com/35ixizd.jpg)
UNDERSIDE:
(http://i61.tinypic.com/33uzm9c.jpg)
INSIDE:
(http://i62.tinypic.com/2d0zo3.jpg)
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Your item appears to be the main parts of a liquid-filled compass , prob for nautical purposes .
Looks like it may be from around the turn of the century , to me .
The main face of your compass would be the indicator for magnetic direction , and would not have had a needle attached (no need to look for that part !) . It would have been 'suspended' in liquid to make the compass quite a bit more steady in waves , turns & movements , augmented by (usually) being mounted in/on a gimbal/gimbal 'box' .
A non-liquid filled (air of gas) compass 'dances' about with even slight movements !
Up here in the Pacific N.W. , we see bunches of broken nautical compasses , the cases are often made from non-magnetic metals & some are quite heavy ... these usually don't do too well at auctions around here , except for those from historic ships/planes & etc .
Working & intact compasses that are antique do fetch some fair prices , however , in the Pac N.W. (USA) !
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It is Norwegian made by N. Svabo in Alesund Norway. There are people with that name living there today.
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N. Svabø. Might be late 19th / very early 20th.
A similar one here ( the 1967 date is for when it was given to the museum )
http://digitaltmuseum.no/021025598880
Contact these people https://www.blomqvist.no/eng/
There's a good market for Norwegian and Swedish antiques.