Pen Review: Schneider Slider XB

The Schneider Slider XB is simply the best ballpoint pen I have ever experienced.

Office Depot had them on sale, so I picked up a few of the Slider Basic XB – black, blue, and green inks. The Basic is the cheapest model they had in stock. Just like Taco Bell, the most expensive item on the menu has the same basic ingredients as the cheapest. The ballpoint tip and ink are the same across the range. I later bought a more expensive model, only because the straight stick style is less comfortable to hold than one of the sculpted shaft retractable models.

This pen is fantastic because it combines smoothness with non-smear, non-blobby writing. A left-handed friend tried it and was very pleased with the lack of smearing, thanks to the very quick-drying ink. Schneider claims that it’s “smoother than gel!” It’s true, as the lubricating quality of their ink causes the point to glide across the paper. (Gel pen ink absorbs into the paper, which slows down your writing, ever so slightly.) I normally avoid gel pens because they seem to wear out and start skipping long before the ink is finished. I never have that problem with ballpoints.

Footnotes:

• Stride, the company used to distribute its pens in the USA, is awesome. They are still a great choice for the office supplies market, particularly in their hometown, Albuquerque.
• I’d recommend the Schneider Parker-style ballpoint refill for use in the fancy ballpoint pen you normally use.
• The easiest place to get Schneider pens and refills for US residents is Amazon.
• And here’s the Schneider pens website.
• InkJoy pens are a good runner-up, but their blobbiness makes Schneider Sliders the clear winner.
• I updated this article in July 2025.