The Leuchtturm1917 does everything Moleskine does and does it better — numbered pages so you can index properly, a table of contents at the front, a document pocket at the back, and 80gsm acid-free paper that handles fountain pens better than Moleskine's 70gsm. The binding lays flat when open, which sounds minor until you try to write in a notebook that springs shut. At this price, the most rational notebook available and the one that most serious writers eventually settle on.
Midori's MD paper is specifically sought out by fountain pen users because it handles wet nibs without bleed-through or feathering at a weight that most manufacturers can't match. The 90gsm cream-toned paper is easier on the eyes during long writing sessions than stark white alternatives, the thread-sewn binding opens completely flat and stays flat, and the whole notebook has a quality to it that makes writing feel more intentional. The notebook for people who care about their writing instruments.
The notebook the British establishment has used for over a century — Smythson's Panama paper is their proprietary formula, featherlight despite being substantial enough for proper writing, and the hand-sewn binding will outlast you if you look after it. The gold edge is a detail that sounds ostentatious until you hold one in your hands and understand it as the mark of completion rather than excess. Made in England by craftspeople who've been doing this for generations. The notebook you use for things that matter.