Customer Reviews

BRASS SUNDIAL

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Photos can be deceiving, and so I was prepared for a 'reality check' when I finally had this sundial in my hands. But, unlike many disappointments in the past, this is a wonderfully made unit.
If you have a male friend who has everything and want to get him a special gift, this could be it. Attractive, mechanical ajustments, professional features.
That being said, it doesn't come with instructions. So once you unfold it, you use the compass (there's a compass needle lock on the side) to align Noon with North. Then you use the elevating table to adjust it's angle to your latitude.
Now you can read the correct Solar time. It won't be the correct local time, because we've imposed time zones on different areas of the globe. (There are compensations for this, but they're not applicable to this sundial.)
But then sundials were never intended as chronometers.
Tell time like the ancient Egyptians when they were building their magnificent pyramids, get one of these sundials.

I have this sundial. It is one of many different types in my collection of sundials. It is well made and teaches one about leveling, latitude and solar versus mean solar (watch) time. With a few helpful articles from the 'Net one can learn much from using a sundial. I'm not sure it will replace my cell phone in daily use as a timepiece, but it is fun to learn, by using reproductions of historical items.

The sundial was well crafted and works just fine, operation was near intuitive. I would have appreciated more of a writeup explaining how (time) accurate the design was and a scientific explanation of why it has time inaccuracies. A little history of sundials would have been nice too.

I'm delighted with the Sundial I recieved from Amazon.com. It's everything the picture shows and more. Judging from the shadow on the dial; it's time for you to get one as well. You wont be disappointed. Nice Price for the quality, craftsmanship and function. A great gift for a Boyscout.

This sundial was given to me as a gift and I find it fascinating and beautiful. The three leveling legs adjust to precisely center the bubble. The table lifts to my lattitude (42 N) and I am ready to point north and tell time! A tremendous gift.

I ordered this for a Christmas gift for my father and was disapponted when I saw what I paid for. It is quite small (3"diameter) and it came in a flimsy gold box that fell apart when I lifted it out of the shipping box. The piece was wrapped in what looked like a yellow "Scott" napkin, and a small screw fell out of somewhere when I opened the napkin. I did find where the screw went, but it was very difficult to put it back and I actually had to get a watch screwdriver to accomplish. It also has no instructions, or any information on the piece what-so-ever. It's too late for me to find another gift. In my opinion it is extremely overpriced for the lack of presentation and for the quality of the item.

It shows the time with at most 10mins error... I love it & recommend this for those who like to explore ancient physics....

Did I receive the same item as the other reviewers? Are they on crack? This is the most dissappointing thing I have ever received from Amazon. I knew the fit and finish wouldn't be top notch from the price and I knew it would be smaller than expected from the other reviewers. I also was not expecting it to be accurate or even useful but I was floored by how poorly manufactured it is. You will be disappointed no matter how low your expectations are.
* The construction is extreemly thin brass - practically tin foil.
* The finish wears off when you touch it.
* The printing is smudged and contains random black streaks and blobs.
* The thing that looks like a level has a piece of plastic that you can't quite see through, with a grain of sand inside that spastically rolls from side to side.
* The feet are just screws which don't quite turn in their threads.
* There are no instructions.
* There is a piece of paper warning "This product contains chemicals known to the state of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm" - but they don't tell you what the chemical is (strange becuase it doesn't have any chemicals unless they are talking about the really cheap brass - or maybe there's lead.

It's going back to Amazon. Last time I buy anything from American Science and Surplus. Shame on you, Amazon, for pedaling such cheap crap

I merely wanted a paperweight for my desk, and the brass sundial turned out to be even more interesting than I imagined. I truly like it, and would recommend anyone wanting one at an affordable price to purchase it.

Its not real big but its very beautiful and Ive used it to teach our kids how it works. They both love it and they show it to friends when they come by. Cant really say if its more beautiful or functional!