The Carl Milles Collection by David Oscarson

Renowned pen maker David Oscarson has released his latest limited edition creation. The Carl Milles Collection is based on the Swedish artist's St. Louis sculpture called The Marriage of the Waters, after the melding of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. This is the thirty-second limited edition series which David Oscarson has produced, and follows an extraordinary line of exquisite pieces revered and sought out by collectors. These unique objects preserve the fine art and craftsmanship of guilloché and hard enamel work which are rarely found outside the watch industry in Switzerland.

Previous limited editions include the Rosetta Stone, Koi and Russian Imperial collections (shown here) among an impressive list of others, available for viewing on the David Oscarson website. 

David Oscarson describes the incredible process of enameling their writing instruments in what is literally the poetry of craftsmanship and skill: 

"Using a mortar and pestle, a composition of glass, water and metal oxides is ground for hours by hand.  When settled, the water is removed, leaving the fine paste that is the basis for hard enamel.  A quill is then used to apply each coat of the mixture to the surface of the metal, ensuring that the entire guilloché area is completely covered in enamel.  The components are then fired in a furnace at temperatures exceeding 1,000° F, fusing the enamel to the metal and forming a layer of glass."

After the above process, each piece is ground using a diamond file, a laborious process, which produces the transparent, glass-like finish that we find on these beautiful art pieces.

We highly recommend that those interested in these incredible pieces examine and handle them in person, as the depth and vividness of the guilloché and enamels cannot be fully appreciated unless they are actually experienced in real life. Collectors and connoisseurs are encouraged to seek out a local retailer and continue their exploration of David Oscarson's extraordinary art pieces. For those in our local community here in Vancouver, if you are interested in a special event to view these pens in person, please leave a comment or send us a message expressing your interest.