Circling the Square: Benu Euphoria Oat vs Visconti Opera and Opera Master

Introduction

Some pen designs earn a second look purely on silhouette. These three pens share one: a squared body with the corners cut off. Two come from Visconti, the Opera and its larger sibling the Opera Master, and one comes from Benu, the Euphoria Oat in the Decadence finish. The Benu was made in that same spirit, and putting them side by side makes for a genuinely interesting shootout, because beyond the shared shape they are three very different pens.

The Shared Design Idea: Circling the Square

Visconti calls the principle “circling the square”: the pen’s profile is a square, but with the corners rounded off. The straight facets within the soft corners give the pen a distinctive grip feel and a look that stands out without shouting. It is a shape that reads premium in the hand and on the desk.

The Benu Euphoria Oat picks up the same idea in an all-plastic construction, which makes it notably lighter than either Visconti. It also brings a spring-loaded clip, different finishes (this one is Decadence, with translucent brown accents on the cap end and section that nod to the Opera Master), and a size that sits almost exactly between the Opera and the Opera Master. A Schmidt number six steel nib on a cartridge-converter system rounds out a simple, easy-to-clean package.

Visconti Opera Elements

The Opera Elements was one of several finishes in the Elements series (fire, earth, water, and air), and the fire version with its red marble-like finish remains one of the most beautiful pens you could own. That finish looks almost like stone, and it still holds up remarkably well years after release.

It is a comfortable, regular-size pen that works for a lot of people and can be posted. Notably, it carries a number six nib rather than the number five you would typically expect at this size, and here it is a 14k gold nib. One distinctive touch is the bayonet closure: push the cap down and it snaps into place with the facets lining up perfectly, something threaded Opera caps do not always achieve.

Visconti Opera Master

The Opera Master is the bigger, heavier sibling. It uses traditional threads rather than the bayonet closure, and the weight difference is immediately obvious, largely thanks to the metal power filler mechanism and the nearly solid metal knob at the end, which makes the pen top-heavy. If the knob is made of the same material as the body instead, the pen is substantially lighter, so weight varies by version.

This example carries an 18k broad nib and a dual-reservoir vacuum power filler, giving it very large ink capacity. It came in many finishes and limited editions, with the tobacco (amber brown) finish among the three originals and easily the most appealing. These remain collectible pens that still surface on the market from time to time.

How They Write

All three are wet writers, but in different characters. The Benu’s broad Schmidt steel nib is nothing fancy, yet it writes really nicely and is exceptionally wet, which pairs well with a rich brown ink.

The Opera Elements’ 14k nib is one of the originals: slightly bouncy, very smooth, and outstandingly wet, to the point it seems to gush and gobble ink. The Opera Master matches that with a broad 18k nib, a delicious writer with wetness through the roof and superb saturation. In short: smooth, generous ink flow across the board, with the gold nibs adding a bit of softness the steel Benu nib does not have.

Things to Consider Before Buying

Availability is the biggest divider here. The Benu is readily available and came down to roughly $210 to $230 depending on finish, which is not cheap for a steel-nib pen, but you do get a nicely made, genuinely distinctive pen. The Opera Elements finishes are hard to find today, and the Opera Master sits in a different price class entirely, with examples historically around €750 and still released by some companies in collectible runs.

Also think about weight and size. If you have smaller hands or want an everyday pen, the regular-size Opera profile is the comfortable pick. If you love a large, heavy pen with huge ink capacity, the Opera Master is the one, and the metal filling mechanism is a big part of that heft.

Which One Should You Pick

If you want to try a squared pen with rounded corners, the Benu Euphoria Oat is the sensible entry point: easy to get, well made, and a great writer. If you want something large, heavy, and collectible with a big ink reserve, save up for an Opera Master. If you want an everyday writer that is not too big, a regular-size Opera is a great choice.

Conclusion

Three pens, one shared silhouette, three very different purposes. The Benu Euphoria Oat makes the circling-the-square design accessible today, the Opera Elements is a stunning regular-size classic, and the Opera Master is the heavyweight collectible for those who love big pens. Whichever route you take, the rounded square shape remains one of the most appealing ideas in fountain pen design.