Designed to stand the test of time. The OceanusBrass Sailor’s Compass, in brass, is a navigational tool created for the boldest of explorers. A technical aid whose visual balance remains true to its aesthetic heritage. 

The only way to navigate, for centuries.  Both rich in heritage and seamless in design, The Sailor’s Compass is there for you when you need it. No batteries here, nothing to fail. On the open ocean or in the great outdoors. The result is an orientation tool that forms a natural part of your everyday carry gear.

A paragon of robustness and reliability. Solid brass construction provides sea-worthy durability. The Sailor’s Compass can be dropped, frozen, banged, forgotten until it isn’t. When you do need it, it will work. 

Luminescent markings are visible when other tools are not. In dark conditions, the intensity of the green glow emitted by the dial and needle marker lasts longer than expected thanks to the innovative material with which they are composed. In daylight, these display elements also have a brighter hue. Go where others can’t.

Quick, compact storage. The Sailor’s Compass fits comfortably in your hand or pocket. Versatility is embodied in every aspect so your focus can always be on where your Sailor’s Compass takes you: wherever you want to go.

If you’re lost at sea, a tiny magnet might be your best hope of finding your way. That’s what makes a compass point north — its magnetic pin. The pin is balanced so that it can rotate freely inside its casing and react to the magnetism of our planet.

The Sailor’s Compass has a rotating top piece with several markings that can be aligned with the compass pin to obtain precise readings when taking a bearing.

Because the magnetic north pole of the Earth attracts the “north” ends of other magnets it is technically the “south pole” of the magnetic field that move a compass’ needle.

The Sailor’s Compass has been manufactured to thrive over decades of use, under all of the conditions you intend to throw it through. What was once a labor of love, is now a timeless navigation instrument available for all, but we need your help to make this dream a reality.

Our products are steeply discounted off retail prices because we want to reward our very first customers. The opportunity to purchase a compass of this magnitude at this price is rare. With our finishing assembly, our master craftsmanship, the Sailor’s Compass, with your help, shall be accessible to all.

We stand behind the quality of our tools and the uniqueness and complexity of our hardware. Each piece has its own unique character that we hope will bring joy and nostalgia when put into action.

The Oceanus Brass Sailor’s Compass is currently spec’d to be as followed.  As with any project not yet complete, these dimensions may change slightly over time as we optimize our manufacturing systems, unlock stretch goals, and improve the tool’s design:

• Diameter: ~2″ (55mm)
• Inner diameter: ~1 7/8″ (48mm)
• Height: ~5/8″ (17mm)
• Weight: ~6.8oz (194g)

Compasses are among our oldest sailing and exploration tools. Once mankind started to learn more about navigation, they have been vital to important features like the first transoceanic journeys and ultimately the globe’s circumnavigation.

Early explorers were required to navigate using local landmarks and the stars. That made traveling to far-off or unknown locations very difficult. Compasses were one of the key breakthroughs making these journeys a possibility.

The first compasses were made in Asia (20 BC – 20 AD) using lodestone, a naturally magnetized stone of iron. Compasses of iron needles were produced later, magnetized by being struck with a lodestone.

The English theologian Alexander Neckam mentioned magnetized needles and compasses in medieval Europe around 1157–1217 AD while dry compasses started to appear in Medieval Europe and the Medieval Islamic world In 1300. This was replaced by the liquid-filled magnetic compass in the early 20th century.

With our design roots in Boston, our company draws creative inspiration from the hub of America’s rich nautical history. In developing our product, our original prototypes and inspiration came from the old shipyards of East Boston.

The nautically-inspired Sailor’s Compass harkens back to a time of adventure on open seas, its durability a testament to the harsh demands of that bygone era. Our hardware is tied to the art and science of sailing and exploration. We’ve spent five months refining the Sailor’s Compass into its final, perfectly balanced form.

Inspired by nautical-grade hardware, the Sailor’s Compass is Oceanus’s signature utility instrument. Its unique rich color and practical beauty are perfect for everyday use, travel, or adventure.

Since launching our first product, the Oceanus Brass – Bow Shackle Pen, we are so proud to have been embraced by the ocean-loving community. It’s because of our incredibly amazing backers that we have been to achieve amazing feats, such as receiving the “Project We Love” badge on the launch day of this campaign!

Our backers can be found throughout the whole world, and they are equally present in social media! Below are a few of our favorite excerpts of what our backers are saying about our products:

Having such an amazing impact our campaigns were even picked up by the press! Here are some of their thoughts on the Oceanus Brass products:

• Maxim: “The rustproof folding pocket knife was launched as the 15th Kickstarter campaign by exploration-themed tool manufacturer Oceanus Brass. The project has received nearly  $240,000 in funding from over 4,200 backers in two weeks, so the Kraken Blade is officially happening.”
• Cool Material: “The Kraken is built to last and should garner ample attention from onlookers when you break it out from your everyday carry set.”
• The Awesomer: “From the makers of the Bosun’s Edge knife comes another beautiful, nautically-inspired tool. The Kraken Blade packages a sharp and replaceable utility blade into an elegant solid brass handle.”
• Cool Material: “If your EDC needs some serious knife variety, the nautically-themed Bosun’s Edge Knife should fit in perfectly. Both utilitarian and artful, the Bosun’s Edge is made from solid brass and uses a replaceable utility blade for perpetual sharpness on the cheap.”
• My2Fish: “The solid brass construction is nearly indestructible, so for the cost of pen ink refill every couple of years, this pen will likely last forever.”
• Men’s Gear: “The Oceanus Brass’ Kraken Blade Is Great For Sea and Land Adventures”
• Dinghy Dreams: “Even though I’m ink rich right now I keep navigating back to the same one, my shackle pen by Oceanus Brass. Nautically inspired and handcrafted by a small start-up company in Boston, Mass., this pen is nearly impossible to lose as it has a shackle to attach to logbooks, dry bags, or wherever you see fit aboard your vessel. As I’ve been route planning for my upcoming voyage this pen has been seeing much use and   it  writes just as smoothly as the day it came out of the box.”
• Geeky Gadgets: “Oceanus Brass Sailor’s Compass is a great gift for your outdoor adventurer. The holiday season fast approaching if you are looking for quality gifts to bestow on your friends and family, you may be interested in the latest creation from the team at Oceanus Brass, the Sailor’s Compass. Inspired by nautical tools and built to last the brass case protects the compass for easy transportation or just simply to adorn your desk.”

To keep up the momentum, please share the campaign on social media and or tell your friends, co-workers, and neighbors about us! We are so excited to start making your Oceanus Brass Sailor’s Compass!

These are targeted milestones for us to hit as a community. If we do hit these goals, each and every backer benefits! We’ll send out the item from the corresponding tier with each Sailor’s Compass, depending on where we finish. Below is the breakdown of stretch goals:

• $30k — We will start manufacturing the compasses before the campaign ends, which will move the shipping date up by up to four weeks (depending on when we unlock the reward!).
• $250K — In addition to the $30k stretch goal, we will increase the wall thickness of the brass shell.
• $300K — In addition to the $30k and $250k stretch goals, we will add an integrated O-ring system to each and every compass.

We launched Oceanus Brass because we wanted to share our nautically inspired compass with the world and turn an idea into action. A project that was both challenging and rewarding, the Oceanus Brass Sailor’s Compass is something we are very proud to share with you. We hope to encourage others to try their hand at something new just as we did, to build something of their own, to go through that exploration process of learning and bringing inspiration to fruition. We owe a great debt of gratitude to the many relationships we’ve built along the way with industrial designers and manufacturers who helped us push the boundaries of what we were told was possible.

Environmental commitments

Long-lasting design

Brass has been a faithful material to sailors for eons. For almost as long as we have explored the seas, we have relied on brass. Because it is made of solid brass, the Oceanus Brass Sailor’s Compass is corrosion resistant and built to last.

Sustainable Distribution

We do not use any plastic packaging, only renewable materials. There’s also no over-packaging.

Questions about this project? Check out the FAQ