Tamaya & Co Pocket Transit

This is apparently a copy of an older model Ainsworth Brunton, based on the  1894 patent. This compass was almost certainly manufactured by Tamaya & Co in Tokyo. I am guessing it was made in the period between 1912 and the beginning of World War II. The last image above is from a 1937 catalog from the Tamaya and Co., and it shows this model pocket transit, even down to the clinometer graduated in fractions. [1] 

Besides the post 1912 features missing from this compass, it differs from my 1926 Ainsworth in the following ways:

Differences

• The sighting window is smaller
• There are two stop screws on the reverse side
• The finger notches are larger.
• The azimuth ring is engraved brass
• The clinometer scale is graduated in fractions
• It is almost 2 oz lighter

Long Strange Trip

This compass has had a long strange trip getting to me. I originally purchased it for $182.50 off of eBay on July 7, 2004. However, it never arrived at my address. Finally, convinced it was gone for good, I contacted the seller who began the process of filing an insurance claim with the USPS.

Late on August 30, I was browsing he selection of compasses on eBay, and to my shock,  there was my compass! It had obviously been cleaned, which I was disappointed about, but otherwise intact. I could tell from the details on the case, as well as the position of the screw heads on the compass and the scratches on the base from the clinometer arm that it was the exact item I had purchased.

So I started leaning on the panic button. First I emailed a question to the  seller, essentially asking "very interesting, where did you get it?". Then I filed a web form on eBay. Their reply was to contact law enforcement (not very helpful, I thought). At 7:00 AM on August 31st, I called my local PD, who  refused to do anything because there was no crime in their jurisdiction. Then at about 7:45 I contacted the PD in the city where the seller was. They were more helpful, and after I convinced the officer it was my property, she said she would contact eBay. Meanwhile, with just over 24 hours left in the auction, at 8:00 AM I contacted the local office of the Postal Inspection Service (the 'mail  police'). The PIS took a very great interest in this case, because the item was apparently intercepted in the mail on its way to me. That, folks, is a federal  offense.

Then I waited. Not very patiently either.

Eventually (about 10:00 AM) I noticed that the auction had been pulled from  eBay. I assumed at that time that it was as a result of one of the law enforcement agencies interacting with eBay. I found out later I was wrong about this.  eBay's involvement appears to have been limited to providing the contact  information of the seller to law enforcement.

I emailed the seller, and left him my email address, as well as an explanation of why I was doing what I was doing. I called the law enforcement agencies, and found out that the Police in the seller's city were now out of the loop, because there was no crime being committed in their jurisdiction after the auction was closed. I called the PIS office, and left a message for the investigator, who called me back shortly before noon and told me that she had spoken with the seller, and that he had pulled the auction voluntarily. She gave me his phone number and name. I thanked her and  immediately called the seller. I got a recorder and left a message.

Later in the day, I got a return email as well as a voicemail from the seller, who at this point was just happy to be rid of the thing. He had bought it for $20 at a flea market close to his house, and had no idea that it was stolen property. I guess he was rather surprised at being contacted by the Postal Inspector regarding selling stolen property. He  me a time to call him back the following day (September 1).

I started calling his number at 9:00, and kept getting busy signals. I found out later he was surfing this site, so perhaps that is why. About 9:45 he called me, and  we had a real good conversation. He was apologetic about cleaning it, and I was apologetic about bringing law enforcement down around his ears. He was so happy to be rid of it, he drove down to meet me that day, and hand it over personally. He refused my offer to pay for his out of pocket expenses. Very, very nice guy.

Like I said, a long strange trip.

Specifications:

• Manufacturer: Tamaya & Co., Ginza Tokyo, Japan
• Date of Manufacture: 1894 to 1941 based on features present.
• Materials:
• Body: Aluminum
• Crystal: Glass
• Hinges and sight arm: Brass
• Azimuth ring: Brass
• Size: 3-1/16 X 2-3/4 X 1-1/4 closed
• Needle: Magnetic steel
• Damping: None
• Pivot: Jewelled
• Graduations: Degrees by 10, with tick marks at every degree and longer marks at every 5 degrees.
• Declination: Adjustable via screw-driven gear.
• Weight: 6.8 oz
• Stop: pin actuated by lid when closed.
• Description: The body of the instrument is unpainted aluminum. The face of the transit is also unpainted aluminum, with plain block lettered engraving, as opposed to the more scripted engraving on the Ainsworths. The inside of the lid  contains a round mirror with an oval sighting window at the hinge side, and a center-line which is engraved perpendicular to the hinge, bisecting the oval sighting window. The sight is attached to the body of the compass, opposite the  hinge. The long sight has a fold-up tip.
• Condition: Excellent. Needle swings free on jewelled bearing. Sight is present and intact, and moves easily. The mirror is unbroken and clear, with only minor oxidization. Retaining rings are in place and in good condition.  Level vial is intact, the fluid is present and clear and the bubble has been retained. The clinometer arm moves although rather stiffly. The clinometer scale is graduated in fractions, from 1/1 to 0, and back to 1/1.

Marked graduations alternate above and below the end of the arm, with the graduations above the arm being read through a window in the arm itself. Graduations are 1/1, 4/5, 2/3, 3/5, 1/2, 2/5, 1/3, 1/4, 1/5, 1/6, 1/7, 1/8, 1/10, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60 and 0.

There is a mark on the exterior of the compass housing below the sight hinge, which could be a manufacturer’s mark. 

Damage: Various nicks and scratches on outer case, as well as a wear haze  overall. Black paint on brass parts is gone in some places. There was originally a yellowed varnish on the exterior, however the previous owner  had cleaned it with fine steel wool, so that is mostly gone.

1) I am indebted to Dr. John Gilbert, a forensic scientist in Adelaide Australia for recognizing this transit from the drawing in one of his catalogues and sending this image to me.