Schneider Pens
	Schneider is a German pen manufacturer that has got something right. A miidle-market pen maker, Schneider turns out products that write well, feel good, and are eminently affordable. If you've been looking for an economical way to turn your office on to good writing instruments (or even go all the way - to Fountain Pens) then you owe it to yourself to take a look at Schneider.
	Schneider has manufacturing facilities in Tennenbronn and, since acquiring penmaker Heiko after German unification, Wernigerode. A distribution warehouse in Weilheim rounds out Schneider's holdings (See the photos here). In the US, some fifteen percent of Schneider pens are manufactured under the watchful supervision of Schneider by Stride, in Reno. You'll find more about Stride here. Schneider makes a wide variety of writing instruments, including fountain pens, gels, ballpoints, rollerballs, fiber pens and markers. They also make highlighters and ink cartridges. We took a close look at the small selection of Schneider fountain pens because we were very impressed with the quality of some pens donated to us for our continuing Pens 4 Kids Campaign.	Base Designa Techno Vario
A Closer Look at Schneider Fountain Pens
Scheider manufactures four fountain pen designs, the Base, Designa, Techno and Vario. We took a look at the Designa.
		The Designa comes in two matte-finish colors, one black and another sapphire blue. If you like cartridges, the barrel holds two. If you, like me, prefer to dribble your ink across your desk, the converter fills the barrel, and is available for another MSRP of $4.99. The composition of the barrel is plastic, and a visible injection molding line runs along the barrel to the end. This line can indeed be felt to the touch, but then again, this pen's MSRP is $24.99 (we found this one on EBay for less than $10). The iridium nib is available as medium or medium-fine. The one at left is a medium, and feels fairly stiff, especially when compared to the Schneider Base, which nearly glides across the page. I suspect that with a little use, the nib will soften a bit and take on my characteristics. The cap is a secure twist-on. Since most of my other daily writers are push-ons, I keep trying to pull the cap off. No brain, no pain, so they say. The molding line that runs along the barrel meets the line along the nib holder and the cap (a sign of good design and manufacturing).
This Designa writes smoothly, and feels good in the hand, if a little light.
		The cap has a steel clip that swivels out of the way. Coupled with a twist-on cap, the swivelling clip virtually guarantees that you'll have to look elsewhere to ruin your shirt pockets.
In short, it's a good pen. For the money, it may be a great pen. I found the Base model to be a bit more to my liking, due to the greater size and broader nib, but this, too, is a good writer.
The Schneider product inventory is available through Office Max and United Stationers Supply Company. And you'll find them available online at Passion4pens.com, Deustche Pen, Pen City, Write With Style, and Authentic Expressions GSA information is available at StrideWrite's website. If you have any comments, I'd be delighted to hear them