David Oscarson Nicola Tesla Fountain Pen Review: A Sterling Silver Tribute to an Inventor

Introduction

Some fountain pens are tools, and some are statements. The David Oscarson Nicola Tesla is firmly in the second camp: a solid sterling silver pen with translucent hard enamel over guilloche engraving, a limited edition of 86 units, and a level of thematic detail that rewards a close look.

This is a review of the forest green version, one of several color combinations in the series. The edition size of 86 is itself a nod to its subject: Tesla was 86 years old when he died in 1943. At a retail price of $6,400, it sits in serious luxury territory, so the real question is whether the craftsmanship and story justify the outlay for you.

The Craft Behind the Pen

David Oscarson is based in St Louis, Missouri, and personally designs each of his pens. A team of British goldsmiths, silversmiths, and artisans in the UK produces each collection, and his themes generally revolve around historical events or personalities.

The enamel work here is the standout. Artisans grind a composition of glass, water, and metal oxides with a mortar and pestle, then apply each coat with a quill so the entire guilloche area is covered. The pen is fired in a furnace at temperatures exceeding 1,000 degrees, fusing the enamel into a layer of glass. After cooling, the pieces are manually ground with a diamond file, and the process repeats until the enamel fills the peaks and valleys of the engraving. The final result is polished to a velvet finish, and the craftsmen behind it have decades of experience.

What’s in the Box

The presentation is appropriately premium. The pen arrives in a substantial outer box with a folded front flap, and inside you get a felt sleeve for the pen, a certificate of authenticity, a branded polishing cloth (genuinely useful given the sterling silver body), and an extensive brochure covering all of the collections.

Practical extras are included too: blue and black standard international cartridges, a glass eyedropper, and a spare O-ring for eyedropper conversion, plus a stick pen to help with installation.

Cap Details and Symbolism

There is a lot going on with this pen, and that is very much the point. The finial on top of the cap carries the formula for the tesla, the unit of magnetic induction. The clip is shaped as the Wardenclyffe Tower, Tesla’s early experimental wireless transmission station built on Long Island in 1901.

Beneath the clip, a Tesla coil is engraved in low relief, complete with crackling electrical bolts rendered in deep guilloche. It is the most eye-catching element of the pen and brings the theme to life.

The back of the cap nods to Tesla’s famously eccentric fondness for pigeons, which he fed in New York and routinely nursed back to health. At the bottom of the cap there is an x-ray of Tesla’s hand, a reference to his early shadowgraph experiments and his advocacy of the technology for medical use.

The band carries the David Oscarson name and logo along with British hallmarks: the lion for sterling silver, 925 for silver content, the leopard’s head for London, and marks indicating 2022 and the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

Barrel and Nib

The barrel continues the storytelling, opening with a representation of an AC magnetic field, followed by Tesla’s signature in high relief with subtle guilloche behind it. The end of the barrel carries a symbol referencing Tesla’s dynamic theory of gravity, punctuated by a black insert.

Under the cap, which twists off in just under two rotations, sits a number six 18k gold Jowo nib stamped with the David Oscarson logo. This pen is a cartridge converter design accepting standard international cartridges, and the included converter works well. Because the pen is entirely sterling silver, it can also be eyedroppered: install the second included O-ring at the end of the section and fill the barrel directly. The O-ring needs to be removed if you switch back to cartridges or a converter.

Writing Performance

The writing sample was done with the 18k gold medium nib and a saturated blue ink with a subtle red sheen, a fitting pairing for the theme. The nib is very nice, with a decent amount of line variation available when you push it slightly.

Ink flow is generous, which makes for a rich, wet line but does mean longer dry times. Reverse writing is not this nib’s strong suit, but in normal orientation it delivers a genuinely pleasant writing experience that punctuates the luxury feel of the pen.

In the Hand

This is a heavy pen: just under 91 grams overall, with the cap at 43 grams and the barrel at 47. For comparison, a Sailor King of Pen style pen comes in around 40 grams total.

The cap is not designed to post securely, and given its weight you would not want to write with it posted anyway. Despite the heft, the weight during writing never felt burdensome, and the pen feels substantive in a satisfying way. The cap threads are a bit sharp but sit far enough back that they do not interfere with grip.

The section starts with a large raised ring and, like the rest of the pen, is sterling silver. Metal sections can be slippery, but this one is engraved with drawings of an AC generator and an induction motor, which look good and do a real job of maintaining grip.

Size Comparisons

Next to mainstream flagships, this pen reads large. Compared with a Montblanc 149, a Sailor King of Pen, a Pelikan M1000, and a Pilot Custom Urushi, it holds its own as one of the bigger pens in the group, and the cap is close to the same weight as the rest of the body.

Should You Buy It?

Whether a $6,400 pen is “worth it” is highly subjective. For one person, the value may not be obvious. For a fan of Tesla’s work, or anyone who wants a functional piece of art with a unique theme, it may be very well worth the cost.

What you get is objectively well made by highly skilled craftsmen, with a unique look, interesting historical elements, and even a couple of Easter eggs. It is a pen that garners attention when you pull it out, and it performs nicely as a writer too. The Nicola Tesla model is available through a number of retailers as well as the David Oscarson website.

Conclusion

The David Oscarson Nicola Tesla is a thoughtful tribute: solid sterling silver, translucent hard enamel over guilloche, dense and genuinely interesting symbolism, and a lovely 18k gold nib. If the theme speaks to you and the budget fits, it is a limited edition that delivers both as an object and as a writing instrument.