I only recently became aware of Moleskine notebooks. From Moleskine History:
For two centuries now Moleskine (mol-a-skeen’-a) has been the legendary notebook of artists, writers, intellectuals and travelers. From gifted artists Henri Matisse (1869–1954) and Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890), to poet and leader of the surrealist movement André Breton (1896-1966) to Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) considered the most influential writer of the last century, to famous travel writer Bruce Chatwin (1940-1989).
Their design is solid:
Each Moleskine has a rigid, bound oilcloth ‘moleskine’ cover, with a durable thread bound binding and fine Italian acid-free paper pages. Each Moleskine notebook also has a built-in elastic closure that holds the sturdy cover closed, a ribbon placeholder, and an expandable accordion pocket in the back made of cardboard and oilcloth for holding tickets, notes and clippings.