Most of the big brands get these made in China these days, which is sad because the quality really is substandard. The binding comes loose, the paper is poor quality, and yet Americans buy it up just to save a few pennies.
These kinds of notebooks originated in France, but came over to the US in 1887. In case you're wondering, there's no copyright for the marbled cover, so any manufacturer can make them.
Roaring Spring has been making composition notebooks dating back to at least the 1930s, and they've been making paper products in the USA since 1887. There have been many imitators, but they're still perennially the best you can buy.
Decomposition Notebooks are a cute play on the concept of composition notebooks. They're made in the USA and are made by Michael Roger, Inc., a family-owned company founded in 1949. It's made from 100% post-consumer-waste recycled paper, and printed with soy ink, and has playful illustrated covers instead of the traditional marble pattern.
C-Line Composition Notebooks are made in Vietnam. The particular design I linked to here is perfect for kids.
Pacon is another manufacturer that often gets overlooked. Some of these are still made in the USA, while others are made in Vietnam.
Mead is one of the top producers of composition books. I hesitate to list them because for years they were made in China, but it looks like they've switched to Vietnam or even the USA in their most recent products.
Oxford / TOPS notebooks are mostly manufactured in Brazil, although you might see Vietnam as well depending on your SKU.
It's sad that despite all the options here, Amazon search still predominantly lists China made notebooks on the top of their search results. But you won't go wrong with any of these non-China alternatives.
