David Oscarson
In less than a decade, penmaker and entrepreneur David Oscarson has created an eponymous brand of writing instruments that is synonymous with quality, craftsmanship and style. By using only the finest materials and production techniques, Oscarson has taken the writing pen from a merely functional instrument of everyday use to the latest must-have luxury item.
Boasting exceptional detail, and brilliant colors, each limited edition
pen is extremely labor-intensive to produce. The pens are hand-crafted
from solid Sterling Silver, which gives them a distinctive weight and
luster. Each David Oscarson pen passes through multiple stages of
precision engraving, creating a distinctive ornamental pattern known as
Guilloché. “We could cast or stamp pattern into metal,” says Oscarson,
“but we wouldn’t achieve the refraction of light that we do with
Guilloché.”
It’s just one of the top-quality touches that the designer insists
upon. Another unique characteristic of the pens is their rich, almost
fire-lit hues. According to Oscarson, the vibrant colors are created
using a rare time-consuming hot enamel process. It begins when a
hand-ground mixture of crushed glass, water and metal oxides is applied
to the surface of the pen, which is then kiln-fired in excess of 1,000
degrees, forming a layer of glass. Once cooled, the piece’s surface is
ground with a diamond file, then buffed and polished. This process is
repeated until at length, a perfect finish of translucent glass enamel
is achieved.
It’s a complex endeavor requiring great skill and expertise on the part
of the artisan. But, says Oscarson, it creates unparalleled results and
is well worth the time investment. “We could make a lesser quality
pen,” he offers, “but to me, anything worth doing is worth doing the
very best.”
Due to the amount of labor that goes into creating each pen, Oscarson
has kept most of his collections to a minimal 88 pieces. “Our
production is limited because of the meticulous care and painstaking
detail that goes into each and every pen,” he says. With only five to
seven goldsmiths working in his shop at any given time, no more than 10
units can be produced in a week. In the world of high-end writing
instruments, that makes Oscarson like a little fish in a big pond.
Despite his company’s diminutive size, Oscarson’s products have
received glowing remarks from industry publications, including Robb
Report’s prestigious Best of the Best award: once for his Harvest
Collection, again for his Pierrot and Pierrette, and most recently for
his special edition diamond-encrusted Celestial Collection. “It’s a
huge honor,” he says.
Oscarson looks to numerous sources for his design inspiration. In
additional to his faith, which fueled both his popular Harvest and
Celestial collections, Oscarson has relied heavily on his family and
heritage for ideas for many of his pieces. His latest offering, a
three-piece collection named Valhalla, attributes its Viking-inspired
designs – complete with long ship and runestone detail – to the
designer’s Scandinavian roots.
Regardless of the source of inspiration, Oscarson treats all his
designs like his children. “They’re very personal,” he says. At a
starting price of $4,500 for a fountain pen, Oscarson admits his
creations are an investment, but because he uses only the finest
materials and techniques, he considers each one to be an heirloom
quality piece worthy of being handed down from generation to
generation. The core concepts of quality, heritage and family drive
David Oscarson – both professionally and personally. “Along with the
love and values you hand down, this is something physical you can hand
down to your children,” he says.
“But it’s not just the pen or object,” he continues. “Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, ‘The greatest gift is a portion of thyself.’ So gifts are symbols – expressions of emotions that should be shared more often.”