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

The combination of features in this compass make it extremely easy to use, very precise and also very versatile.The wheel allows you to adjust the compass radius minutely, and the buttons allow you to easily and quickly change the radius by large amounts. In actual operation how this works is, you use the buttons to adjust to radius to very close to the one you want, and then you use the wheel to quickly fine-tune it to the exact radius required. It's worth noting that the wheel adjusts more finely than the wheel on the similar Staedtler compass which lacks the buttons. (On that compass, if the wheel screws were as finely tuned as on this one, it would take far too long to adjust the compass radius by large amounts since that other compass has no button release.)The max radius is in excess of 8 inches—don't know exactly the size but it's very large.Additionally, there is an extra piece which you can put in place of the compass lead, which open up and allows you to tighten into place any kind of writing instrument or paintbrush, chalk or whatever. It allows for pen-like objects quite a bit wider than a standard pencil, so even fancy gel pens can fit into it and be tightened in. Also, the design of the tightening screw is such that it will not damage what you put into it. (Some compasses have a screw that screws directly into the side of the inserted wooden pencil, leaving a small hole. This compass just squeezes the pen or pencil with a curved plastic piece—nice design.)The case is very nice and professional and protects your compass and lead and so forth. The catch on the case is just right—easy to open, but it is very unlikely to come open by itself in a backpack. I suppose it could if you REALLY bashed your bag around, but I've never had a problem with it.Also included is a small cylinder for holding extra lead, which comes with several leads and—surprise! an extra metal compass tip. Nice touch. Haven't had a need for it so far. Actually, since the metal tip is the same width as the compass lead, you could even replace the lead with the extra metal tip so you would have a compass with two metal tips and no lead—something like carpenters compasses I have seen. I haven't personally needed to do this but it might be handy.Both arms of the compass have the same connector screws, so you could use the pen/paintbrush holder in place of the metal tip, instead of in place of the lead tip. Again, I've never needed to, but you could do it easily if you wanted to. (In other words, you would then have two tips: one of lead for drawing, and the other whatever you put into the plastic grip and tightened in.)The compass has one more feature, which I'm not really sure the purpose of. Both of the standard arms—lead holder and metal tip—can be bent inward on a hinge that's about halfway up the arms. The hinge is fairly stiff so they will NEVER bend that way by accident. They can't bend outward at all, only inward. I don't know why this would be useful, since you can just use the button release to make the radius smaller instead of bending them in like that, but there it is. (Please comment if you know what that feature is for.)Overall, this is easily the best compass I have ever seen or used and for me, well worth the price of about $25.

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.

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.

Requested by son’s math teacher.Great quality, sturdy.

I’ve never had a compass like this, and wanted to switch out the pencil thing out. Instructions??? Nowhere! Not even online or on their website. I might have to take a geometry class to learn how to use it.After a very long search on YouTube, I finally found someone who showed a glimpse of them switching, but didn’t explain how to do it. The screw was so tight, I didn’t think it was supposed to turn. I finally just cranked it and it moved! A little more unscrewing, actually a lot more unscrewing until it’s completely unscrewed then push it out and remove it completely. Only then can you switch it out.Anyway, if you want to use the adapter and you pass the patience test, it’s a fine compass.

Great quality and sturdy compass with a nice case to keep it when not in use.