I go through a lot of notebooks.  I have stacks of notebooks that I have started and then tossed aside because I didn't like them for one reason or another.  I hate spiral bound notebooks because the paper rips and it never folds over quite right.  But most hard bound journals don't lay flat.  I finally found my perfect journal with Molekine Cahier.  The only thing I had to worry about then was- what pen?!  I tried Micron and regular ballpoint pens.  I ended up with the Pilot G-2 .38mm as my favorite.