Mechling Rebinds a Personal Size Reference ESV

It must be rebinding week here at the BibleDesignBlog.com, because I'm receiving lots of great photos to share. Get ready to salivate, friends. Let's begin with a new project done by Mechling Bookbindery. Regular reader Brian Fox sent them his new Personal Size Reference ESV for treatment -- the genuine leather edition, which has a sewn binding. Here are the results, in Brian's own words:

I sent a genuine leather ESV Personal Size Reference Bible to Mechling, and I am pleased to share it with you. I chose chocolate goatskin, with the raised bands, translation name (once rather than thrice), and two deluxe ribbons. In many ways, it is similar to Kyle Hedrick's scarlet RSV. If I could change one thing, the top and bottom of the spine would have the nice bulges that Alan Cornett's NASB NT has.

The Mechling rebind is 1/4" taller than the TruTone edition. It also feels more substantial.

While it is not as nice as my Allan's ESV, the chocolate goatskin feels very luxurious in my hands. There is a world of difference compared to the veneer of leather over cardboard that originally came with this Bible.

The spine is rather tight, and the cover is not as flexible as some of my other high-end Bibles, I plan on breaking it in over the course of many years, and I trust that it will loosen. Rebinds have been described as "rustic" looking, and I agree that the word applies to this rebind. It is no Allan's, but it is custom made to my specifications. It has its own character, and it will be my new constant companion. The total cost from Mechling was $118.29 shipped. Do I have any regrets? No.

I would also like to add that the good folks at Mechling put up with my obsessive compulsive fears that they were making mistakes, and my need to check on if they were doing it right, and they were very professional and helpful. I opted for the speedy service for $25 extra, and they completed it in three weeks, and did not charge me the $25. I guess they did not have the six week backlog and were honest enough to not charge extra. I appreciate that.

Other than art-gilt page edges and full yapp, this is the closest thing for me to the perfect compact Bible.

-- Brian Fox

Thanks, Brian, for sharing the results of your project. Looks like you need to pull those pages apart! Stay tuned for more rebinding goodness in the days ahead, everybody!

UPDATE
Brian snapped a couple of outdoor shots so we could see the color of the leather cover in natural light. Here there are:

Comments

[matthew]

oooooooooo....nice.

$118 buck eh? This website is terrible...it' seems to be takling all my money from me. hehe

The bands look nice. I was wondering how they would look on such a small book, but man they look great.

I think I'll give Mechling a try when I get enough pennies saved.

....can someone loan a fella a'hundred bucks????? :)

[Jesus Saenz]

Brian, from the price of the rebinding I am assuming that it doesn't have leather liners. Can you tell me what kind of liners it has and also which cover flexibility did you choose?

[Jerry]

Brian,

Would it be possible for you to publish the exact specs. that you asked from Mechling? I have thought about doing something similar with my Personal Reference ESV (except in black) and have found their website order form to be very confusing. I don't see how you got this done for $118, since every time that I run the thing my amounts come up much higher. Thanks.

[Brian in Fresno]

This is what I've been waiting for! Has anyone else sent their Personal Size Reference to be rebound? I really want to to that! The size is so compelling and comfortable. I can't for the life of me understand how that leather veneer over cardboard can possibly be labled genuine leather. Other than the cover the Bible is great! I do know that it will never be an R.L. Allan though. Does anyone know if Collins will be publishing the Personal Size Reference? Another question. Crossway has said not to expect an calfskin Personal Size Reference in 2008. Does that mean one will be coming in 2009?

[J. Mark Bertrand]

I *think* it means there are no concrete plans, and the future might depend on how the current editions are received. But I could be wrong.

[Jesus Saenz]

I think I will be sending mine off to Eric at Leonard's Book Restoration soon. I am thinking of either a tan or red goatskin, leather lined. Other features I want are raised bands on the spine, two ribbons and if it can be done then I will ask him to include lined paper as well. Other features are a semi-yapp cover and blind stamping at the spine bands as well around the cover edge.

[Brian in Fresno]

I also need to say that your Bible looks great, Brian!

[Nathan Stitt]

I've been anxiously waiting to see the first rebind on the PSR ESV. Given the costs of the bible + shipping + rebind I think I'll just wait and get the new Allan's ESV. If Crossway comes out with their standard black calfskin on this bible in 2009 I'll pick one up when they do. This project turned out great though as I'm sure it will get decades of use. I loved that third picture.

[Brian Fox]

JS, the liners feel like vinyl. If they are paper, they are really slick paper.

[Brian Fox]

Jerry, I actually changed my specs after I originally sent it it. I went with the limpest goatskin available without paying for the deluxe. As far as their website, you fill out the form, print it, and send it in. I chose goatskin with grain pattern, soft cover with round corners, very flexible, discard old end papers, spine title Holy Bible, English Standard Version on spine, stamping standard gold, name on cover, no double bars, no cover title, no cross, two deluxe 1/8" gold/black ribbons (the form doesn't let you pick that, but you can hand write it in), and raised bands on spine. You can also call them to confirm details. They are very helpful.

[matt morales]

I like the colour. I am slapping myself for going with the Tan goatskin rather than the chocolate. The chocolate looked darker on their website.

[Jesus Saenz]

Matt, you had a rebind from Mechling using the tan goatskin? If you have any pics, would you email them to me? I am interested in having my GNT done with tan goatskin.

holla'

jesus@thetrustcollective.com

[Alan]

Matt, how does your tan goatskin look? The tan would be my natural inclination.

[Brian Fox]

Matt, I checked the color, and you are right. The flash lightened it in the pictures. I took two more pictures in sunlight, and I emailed them to Mark. Here are links to the pictures:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v429/jesusisgod/ESV5.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v429/jesusisgod/DSCN2110.jpg

[Nathan Stitt]

The outdoor images are quite handsome. You can tell that the images in the post are lightened by the flash because your black Allan's ESV looks almost gray. Thanks for posting how they appear in natural lighting.

[matt morales]

Jesus/Alan-

Here is the link for the review of mine in Tan Goatskin

http://www.bibledesignblog.com/2008/01/another-esv-wid.html

[Alan]

^Thanks for the link. I had seen it before, but it's tough keeping all the various rebindings straight. Looking at your tan I would have to say that *my* preference would still be the tan, but the chocolate is still lovely. Brown leather just has a richness that black can't capture.

That said, my ESV single column reference in black premium calfskin should arrive tomorrow. 8-) I hope the lot of you are happy with yourselves!

[Jesus Saenz]

Thanks for the reminder, Matt. I forgot that the Wide Margin was done in tan goatskin.

Alan, I really like my SCR!

[Rod]

Thanks for sharing this project. Looks reaaly great. I have the same chocolate on a Cambridge NIV Wide Margin. Love it. I agree it is a little stiff right now. That means to loosen it up you gotta be in the Word!!

[Brian Fox]

I just noticed that the bands on the spine are not equally spaced on the top and bottom. My obsessive compulsive nature will notice that every time I see it, but I will tell myself that they meant to do it that way.

[Kathy]

Brian, I think they did mean to do it that way. Most of my books with raised bands look like this.