STAEDTLER Comfort Metal Quick Setting 6" Compass 2 Piece Set: Universal Adapter, Push-Button Mechanism & Extra Leads - Draws Circles up to 350mm

Granted not a high end device. But I have to say, the features, attachments and functionality of this compass meet and exceed all of MY needs. This comes with a good solid case too. This is going to be used in a smallish wood shop/studio. Everything I have done so far has been spot on. I am pretty happy with this compass. It gets my recommendation.

I vaguely remember using a compass when I was in K12. I remember them always being those terrible ones that always slid out of place and were frustrating to adjust. I've been buying various tools this year to help me draw more accurate plans for my contraptions and this has been a welcome addition to my toolkit.When you first open it you can tell that it's going to be worlds better than those cheapo ones you used in school. It feels sturdy and has a nice weight to it. The quick-adjustment buttons make large adjustments a breeze. Be sure to depress them fully and firmly and ensure that the adjustments are easy. After getting close to the desired size, the wheel makes it easy to make precise adjustments. It's made of a mixture of plastic and metal. The blue parts are made of plastic but they don't feel cheap. The locking pins are also made of plastic but that hasn't proved to be an issue thus far. Hopefully they last a long time.The set includes the compass, 2 additional pieces of lead, an additional metal tip, and the universal adapter which allows you to use a pen/pencil/etc instead of the lead point. It's not in the product photo for some reason so I've included two photos.All in all it's a great kit. It's a quality compass and I don't mind spending a few extra dollars to buy something that's going to last a long time. It's made drawing circles a breeze. It's a tad pricier than others but I've had no issues thus far. The quick setting buttons are a must have. The universal adapter is a great tool to have as well.

This compass has been loyal and true for 3 months, and it is showing no signs of wear and tear yet. Specifically, I use it to draw a lot of geometric mandala designs as a focusing exercise, and I am compulsive about accurate measurements and arcs. This compass has served me very well with consistent and precise measurements. The quick-release buttons are handy, though I personally don't use them all that often, and the legs allow you to change bits and pieces easily. The weight is very comfortable for me, and I don't have too many issues with the needle gouging a hole into the paper, unless I'm drawing 8 or 10 circles around the same center point (which is unavoidable with any compass). The screw mechanism is buttery-smooth and very accurate, and I've never had an issue with one of the legs getting off-center. The case itself is very sturdy, and it has survived being tossed around and crushed inside the backpack of a grad student in an English MA program (I have a lot of books to carry around during paper season). However, I don't think the case would survive being a toy for little kids or large dogs very long.For me, the biggest plus is that it comes with the universal attachment for pens and pencils, which I use almost exclusively over the standard graphite pieces. The product picture doesn't show it for some reason, but it does come included. The largest drawing utensil the attachment holds is a standard Sharpie marker, so anything smaller, from Micron pens to generic mechanical pencils, will fit wonderfully. My only gripe is that the screw part of the universal attachment is plastic, but it does seem to be sturdy. It also comes with a small container for extra needle points and leads, and the compass comes with 2 extra leads and an extra needle point.The only thing that I don't like about this compass is that I have to take the universal attachment off before storing it so that it will fit back into the molded compartments inside the case. This is more of a note than a con, but the blue molding in the case is lined with a synthetic velvet-like material, and sometimes there is a very thin coating of these fibers on the compass. It's no biggie though, they don't hurt anything and aren't even noticeable once you wipe them off on your jeans or something.

I really like this compass. It's solid, has a bit of weight to it, easy to use. I LOVE the quick-adjust levers! The extra piece for pencils and markers is metal also. Fits a fine point Sharpie marker. I took off one star for the top being plastic, but really it's a half star. It's nice and solid