Considering I never would have thought of buying notebooks on Amazon before about a week ago (think it was one of your links, though I could be wrong), I’m not really surprised the list is sparse…

I’m no aficionado on notebooks but I’ve enjoyed carrying the small Writersblok notebook in my pocket at work. It’s inexpensive and has some surprisingly good paper for the price. The cover has started to separate from the paper lining just a bit, but I’ve been carrying this one since February, so that’s OK. I use it for to-do lists, grocery lists, part numbers, doodles, random notes, etc., etc. Probably not for a notebook elitist, but a good everyday workhorse.
For the record, I agree that your results list is borrrrring!

1. Large Rhodia Webbie Lined or Dot Grid 
2. Clairefontaine Staplebound French Ruled 6.5 x 8.5
3. Mead Composition Book (can’t beat the price)
4. Rhodia No 18 Lined Tablet
5. Jottr Notebook (honorable mention as I am obsessed with getting one but don’t want to import it from England)

APICA CD-15s and Levenger letter size Circas are my favorites.

Various sizes of Rhodia notepads and a dollar store cheapo that works surprisingly well with fountain pens.

Oh that list is so depressing! If it helps, our top notebook sellers are the Quo Vadis Habana (lined), Rhodia Webnotebook (dot grid, then lined), and the Clairefontaine Staplebound A5+ and A4. Rhodia dot pads are pretty popular too!

Hate to break this to you-

Amazon deals in millions. I am not sending my 6 year old to school with 6, $12.00 (US) Rhodia notebooks for her to do spelling words in. I am sending her with dollar store specials. The Mead composition books have good paper, stay together and have long lasting covers. For school notes, fire and forget note taking and general work, it is fine.

I am carrying a Rhodia 7.5 x 12 grid notebook. For that matter, my children have one each (they love the orange cover). Now, if I could find a grid paper, top bound pocket sized notebook, I would spend a little more, but I can get them from a import shop for fifty cents a piece, so the deal/no deal line is pretty low.

There are a lot more Camry’s than Rolls Royces.

I wouldn’t be able to put them in order, but my favorite notebooks are:

Field Notes (original) Graph, Rhodia Reverse Book, Doane (large), Black n’ Red, (small w/elastic band), and either my small Clairefontaine reporter (lined) or the hardbound Picadilly (small). So many great options out there now. 

I love my Daycraft Cookie Bookie notebook.  It’s tough, great to work in, beautiful and funky.  What more can you ask for from a notebook?

If I had not stumble upon a notebook review site like yours, I would be still using regular notebooks like Mead brand.  Since then I have used other brands like Behance Action Journal, Piccadilly Notebook, Leuchtturm 1917, and of course Moleskine.

I guess you might be right that it may not be the first place people think to look, I myself just tend to try and buy anything I can from Amazon because the prices are generally good, and I like to avoid doing actual shopping in a store if I can.

Yes, the Writersblok notebooks are nice, I like the Bamboo Writersblok notebooks myself.

http://officesupplygeek.com/notebook-review/book-style-binding/bamboo-notebooks-by-writersblok/

Thats a good, well rounded list.  Ive never tried the Jottr notebooks.

The APICAs are nice, I’ve tried them before, but never actually reviewed them, I should work on that.

You really cant go wrong with Rhodia, and as for the dollar store ones, thats impressive…always nice to find something inexpensive that actually works. 

Thanks for the feedback, thats very interesting/insightful. I’m surprised that the dot grid sells more than the lined!

Nope, totally makes sense and that was my first though toot, but it doesn’t explain the Livescribe notebooks being so high on the list.  I mean thats like an $80 minimum investment for the pen, then the notebooks…seems like a very obscure item to place so high.

I cant think of something with grid paper that is top bound and pocket sized…thats a unique one, Ill have to keep an eye out and think about that some more.

Black n’ Red is one of my favorites, it might be the best value out there.

Daycraft does make some pretty nice notebooks, I think the issue there is just that they dont have a good distribution partner in the US.

Hey, thats nice to hear, I hope the reviews have been helpful.  Out of that group, I’d say that the Leuchtturm are probably my favorites.  Thanks for commenting and sharing!

 Weighing in on the dot grid vs. lined — I think a lot of people (myself included, now that I’ve got my hands on one and see how useful it is) prefer the lack of hard lines. The dots give you enough guidance to write in a straight line, but they also can allow for things more often done on graph paper, and are unobtrusive enough that sketches can be done without the lines distracting you from the image. To me, they’re the best type of ‘all purpose’ paper (because I can’t write in a straight line without SOME kind of guide…).

Cool, thanks for sharing. I think thats the best way to describe it, its not that the dots add some very specific functionality, but they do bridge a gap between two of the more popular styles…grid and ruled.

I’m using a Five Star with fabric spiral cover.  Other than thin paper, it’s great.