My 7 year old is currently on a nautical kick and is spending a good chunk of time in the back yard yelling out commands to her “Shipmates.” (AKA the Neighbor’s Kids) “Ship ahoy!” “All hands on deck!” “Land ho!” So when I saw this I knew she would need to have it to make her adventures even more real! I love how it looks so old and fancy! The green stone at the center of the compass is definitely a nice touch. It definitely doesn’t feel like a high end timepiece from 200 years ago, but for a little girl adventuring across the sea in our backyard, it’s perfect. The compass definitely seems accurate to my untrained eye. I wish there were directions for how to properly use the sundial though. Otherwise no complaints!

The product listing states that the main materials used include brass and leather. Upon examination, I would agree that this does appear to be the case. However, there is at least 1 other main material. That of a wood panel decorative covering on the outer surface, with a black textured coating on the inner surface. But I also think that there might be another type of main material used along with the leather. You see, the carry case that comes with this sun dial only has about half of it's material made from a type that is somewhat soft and plyable, like normal, natural, and real leather would be. The rest of it is stiff and hardened, as if made from a type of thinly sculpted wood material. I don't know for sure that it is, but that's what it feels like. That's how much difference there is in hardness and plyability between regions of this carry case.There are a few short brass colored rivets stamped into the case at key points to hold the structure together, along with some black thick stitches that resemble old-timey horse hair thread. There is a knob on the bottom, with a belt loop, and a latch strap with a pin-hole, for securing the case closed. On another side of the case is another belt loop, this time for sliding an actual belt through.The wood panel decorative covering appears to have been glued on. I can state this to be the case because while examining it, I accidentally pulled a corner slightly loose enough to notice the white sticky glue substance clinging between surfaces. Plus, the case definitely has a noticeable scent of old-timey leather and wood glued luggage. By itself, this is not automatically a bad thing. It just means they used some glue in some spots. It might actually even prove thier efforts to adhere as much as possible to old-timey authenticity.While the carry case is an interesting historical replica, and a convenience to have, the sun dial is definitely the main attraction here. It is quite heavy-weighted for it's size, and to no surprise either, as it's made of good quality brass. I have no intention of stress testing this piece's breaking points, but the pins and hinges seem to be fairly solid and strong, as does the carry chain, latch hook, and carry ring. The outer brass shell is very sturdy and durable, as is the actual dial part of the sun dial.The button to open the compass is next to the ring. It works great, needing some effort so that it doesn't just fall open accidentally all the time. But it's also not frustratingly difficult to open, and I say that as a disabled person with all sorts of tendon and muscle issues in my hands.Internally, the compass window is made of solid, fairly thick, perfectly clear glass. I see no flaws in it, no scratches, cracks, cloudiness, bubbles, etc. It looks great. I actually can't tell if there's liquid inside the glass or not. Likely wouldn't really matter since the compass needle appears to be mounted onto a pin or stake to keep it centered. It can still spin freely as it needs to.As far as I can tell, it does the job of detecting magnetic north wonderfully. There are many notches marked in a complete circle around the compass needle in perfectly measured intervals. There are numbers, as well, representing degrees of a directional circle. There are also directional letters, such as W for West, etc.Overall, this is a great product. It's high quality and works great without batteries or any electricity. It's easy to use, too, and easy to carry. It makes a great gift for those interested in such things. It can be nostalgic, eccentric, part of a costume, part of a role playing convention or game event, part of a display or decoration, or even actually use it while out camping or fishing.My only critique so far is that more clear information is needed about all the main materials involved in the carry case, if there are indeed other materials involved. And also, about wether or not the inlaid jewel is real.4 out of 5 stars.The compass stake and needle are metal of some sort, and are silver in color. The needle has the north end color coded painted red. There is also a jewel inlaid in the center of the needle where it joins the stake. It is bright medium green in color, very much like an emerald, although I have no idea if its actually a real emerald. I scrolled the product listing, but dont see it. Maybe I missed it.