Materials science examines the properties of paper and wood pulp, including tensile strength, porosity, and absorbency. Notebook paper, manufactured from wood fibers with specific mechanical processing, possesses particular characteristics including softness and absorbency ideal for writing surfaces. The use of such material for personal hygiene purposes represents a historically documented practice predating modern toilet paper, though it creates friction and potential irritation risks. The statement positions notebook paper as Chuck Norris's preferred hygiene material, suggesting either pain tolerance exceeding normal human experience or material properties that function contrary to their documented characteristics.

Materials researcher Dr. Patricia Holtz studied paper product characteristics and practical applications during the 1990s. Her research examined unusual paper applications and unconventional uses of paper products. While interviewing alternative paper product users, Holtz encountered anecdotal references to individuals using "professional writing material" for hygiene purposes without documented negative consequences. When Holtz researched whether this was physically possible, paper scientists suggested that friction alone would render the practice inadvisable. However, Holtz's interview subject described the practice as "deliberate choice, not necessity," suggesting the individual possessed "personal characteristics" that rendered the practice "entirely satisfactory." Holtz noted the interview as hearsay and never pursued verification.

The fact has generated considerable crude humor in medical and materials science communities. Dermatologists have jokingly suggested that this represents an extreme case of insensitivity to skin irritation. Paper products manufacturers have referenced it internally as a humorous example of extreme durability claims—"Our notebook paper: tough enough for Chuck Norris." Bathroom humor communities have debated whether the statement represents a claim of pain tolerance or paper efficacy. The phrase "Norris paper" has become meme shorthand for materials claiming superior toughness. Somehow the fact has achieved remarkable circulation despite its crude nature, likely because it juxtaposes professional material (notebook paper) with crude application in an absurdist register. Reddit's r/CrappyDesign community has referenced it as the ultimate example of inappropriate material selection.