Schneider Xtra Hybrid .3 Needle Point Blue


Stride Write, the sole distributor of Schneider pens, sent me this sample several weeks ago, and you may have seen my recent review of the Schneider Xtra Document, a pen that I, surprisingly, enjoyed more than this one. 

I love needle point pens, especially if they come in a great color (this one is nearly blue-black), and are a really fine point. What I found with this one is that the combination of the really fine ball and liquid ink seemed to be very finicky, at least on the papers that I tried. I ended up doing the review on a Rhodia Reverse Book, and there were occasional start-up issues. Outside of this, I also found the ink to spread more than I would like, so the .3 size was closer to a .5, if not a .6 line. 


I will admit, I often tend to stay away from liquid ink pens for this reason, though I have a more forgiving approach to my fountain pens.


I've said this before, but I think it is easy to argue that Germany and Japan produce the best writing instruments in the world, so I usually anticipate top tier quality when I try products from these two countries, and maybe that isn't fair.

What is exciting is that some of the harder-to-find stuff if finally becoming available here in the states; whether people agree on the excellence of a particular offering is less important than the fact that people have access to try it out in the first place, but I digress.


The Cap: As you can see, this is a very flashy design. I love the German flag colors on the cap, but the rest of the appearance doesn't do too much for me. I like a cleaner, more subdued look. Again, personal preference.


The Clip: The clip works well, but the cap is easily removed from the front, and posts very lightly on the back end, so be weary of getting ink stains in your pants, shirt pocket, or purse. I'd leave this one on your desk or in a pen cup.


Grip and Ergonomics: Perhaps my favorite two features of the pen. The grip is comfortable and the pen is easy to hold without strain or fatigue. No complaints here.


Pros and cons on this one were pretty even for me, which is unfortunate, but I want to see what others think about this one. If you don't post your cap, and liquid ink pens are some of your favorites, this could be a marvelous pen for you, but I still couldn't recommend this one given the downfalls I experienced.