ALVIN Compass Pro Speed Bow with Beam Bar 6" Model 205V Compass for Geometry and Engineering, Included Beam Bar Allows for Drawing Large Circles, Drawing and Architecture Tool - 6 inch

Good and TrustworthyGreen Flags:Quick adjustment is top tier really really well done. better than competitors.good hand feel qualityAccurate and consistent.Full metal build will last.Reg Flags:Does not have a holder for pens so limited useBuild Tolerances is good but not the greatestBeige Flags:Price is sorta higher but is in the right spot.Feel and shape. Is very comfortable in my hand for long use cases.TLDR: Cost is more but will last a lifetime and the quality and shape and feel is well worth it.

This is a very good compass. It has a solid feel to it and the build material is very good as well. It comes in a plastic case which is not shown here. And that is really nice container to have to protect your investment.I've used my compass mainly for drawing, illustrations, and geometric figures and for each application it performs as you would expect. There is a compass I would rate higher, and that would be Rotring compass, but its more expensive and it takes much longer to set the radii for it; it's really meant for precision. This Alvin compass hits the sweet spot for me in terms of precision, quickness, and ease of use.Now for the bad. I've used this compass for about 2 years and its finally wearing out. I really wish it had lasted longer. The biggest problem is the jointed legs. If you look at the picture, you'll see that each leg is hinged where the screws are. No matter how tight you make the screws, the legs eventually start to bend as you use the instrument about. Its most noticeable when you are making small radius circles (because the 'elbows' bend out.) If you are careful, you can prevent the bending by gingerly twisting the compass. But that's annoying to do.Finally, the next problem I find is that the pen/pencil adapter is too narrow for some of the pens I like to use. Jetstream pens will not fit, and Uniball Signo pens barely fit. Also, to secure the writing instrument, you need to tighten a screw which 'drills' into your pen. I would much prefer the screw tightens the 'arms' embracing the pen. I'm just worried about knicking my pen with a screw mark.Overall, it's a good compass, and I plan to purchase another. Just some small adjustments would make this a much better product. First, lose the hinge to make the legs last longer. Add a 2nd adapter to allow for wider pens.

The 205V is made of a Tin Alloy (not Plastic) that is very lightweight, and is painted into a Silver color. The extender arm connected feels solid. The pencil adapter will help in multi-color circles. The speed adjust button plus micro adjust wheel work well. A few extra leads and one pin are included. The plastic case will protect the investment. No instructions, but I found an excellent video in the internet. I’m super happy with my purchase.

As you’ll notice in many of the other reviews on this item, it doesn’t always come “complete” for lack of a better term. In my case, one of the speed levers which serve to lock the arms into place was missing the rivet that constituted it’s fulcrum. Without this part, one leg has a full 1.5” of play to it, alloying it to move around while using it and defeating the purpose of a compass. I will say though, beyond this crucial flaw, the rest of the construction on mine was great! It feels great in the hand, has a nice weight to it and otherwise a solid product. Given the number of reviews sharing in similar issues, there’s a significant chance when buying this it may not arrive intact or operational. However, it’s a good product, so if you decide to buy one, be mindful that you may likely need to return it or expect to make repairs yourself.

Very disappointed with this purchase. It feels like a quality product and looks nice, however, the tightening knobs do not tighten it enough to keep the pieces from moving and changing as you use it. It is especially useless with the beam arm attached. No matter how hard I try to crank the tightening knob, the arm moves around a lot in the slot and just can't make a consistent circle.I suppose if you are using it very lightly it may hold its position better (not with the beam arm though). I use this in my artwork and need it to make a nice, visible mark and it just can't do it.I totally wasted my money on this one.Update: After a couple months of use, one of the tightening knobs snapped off. It is garbage.

perfect and case good to store