Bible Design and Binding

R. L. Allan Reader's Reference Edition ESV

Critics divide an artist's lifetime of work into eras or periods. If I were to do the same thing for the R. L. Allan Reader's Edition ESV, I'd have to say this comes from a later, mature period, in which a variety of earlier experiments have come together to create a superlative and very refined edition. The ESV1 in its various iterations, the ESV3, the recent PSR ... all that labor has now culminated in a work of art.

These days, things often fail to live up to the hype. I'll be honest, the idea of a bigger Allan's ESV didn't get me too excited. I like small. So my expectations weren't as high as some. Then I opened the box and saw the Reader's Edition for the first time. My expectations reset.

 

It's not a question of innovation. We've seen most of the details before. The genius here is the execution. Everything is better than before. Allan's took the now-defunct Heirloom setting of the ESV -- essentially an enlarged Classic Reference -- and commissioned a special printing by Collins, adding extra space at the margins and selecting a higher quality paper than what we've seen on previous Collins-printed text blocks. The margins change the footprint. This isn't just a bigger ESV1. It's taller and also wider, which means it takes full advantage of the liquid flexibility of the highland goatskin covers. For the first time, Allan's has delivered an ESV that rivals the KJV Long Primer for look and feel.

 

The color options are consistent with the ESV1 range: tan with copper/tan ribbons; brown with copper/tan, green, and purple ribbons; and black with dark blue ribbons. As with all naturally grained covers, you'll see variation from skin to skin. Of the three pictured here, the black has the most pronounced, most rustic grain, the brown is the most smooth and refined, and the tan lies somewhere in between.

They're beautiful, of course. My wife is accustomed to a superfluity of Bibles around the house, and as a result they all look the same to her. Not these. She seized one (the dark brown) and started explaining to me everything she liked about it. Needless to say, that one's hers.

 

While there's variation in the grain, color is very consistent. The new Allan's Pocket Journals match their big brothers perfectly. The paper in the journals is the same as what's bound in the back of each Reader's Edition. Seeing them together reinforces the maturity I mentioned earlier. This is a range of editions now, not just a handful of unrelated options. 
 

Another Glimpse of the Reader's Edition ESV

Don't think of this as merciless taunting. I'm just checking in with another preliminary note about the new R. L. Allan Reader's Edition ESV. Right now, my tentative plan is to post something more definitive early next week. I have a lot more photos to take. In the meantime, here's a snap illustrating the color range: black on bottom, brown in the middle, and tan on top, with the corresponding Allan's Pocket Journals.

 

 

If you pre-ordered one of these, I think it's safe to say you will not be disappointed. A Reader's Edition is a bit like an Allan's ESV1 translated into glory. The same only better. Better proportions, larger type size, better paper, you name it. They are big, but in the way that a wallet stuffed with hundreds is big -- i.e., not so large you aren't thrilled to be carrying it. 

 

 

And the semi-yapp edges are executed nicely, as you can see above, with an elegant curl over the page edges. Hopefully that will tide you over until next week!

Update: If you haven't joined the Bible Design Blog Fan Page on Facebook, now would be a good time to do so. I'm not saying there are exclusive photos posted only on the Fan Page ... but there are. Click on the link in the right hand column to join.

Size Comparison: The Allan's ESV Range

This morning I received copies of the new R. L. Allan Reader's Reference Edition ESV, and will be writing more about them shortly. For now, I want to address what must be a common question, which is how the latest addition to the Allan's ESV line-up compares with the other two. I stacked three black highland goatskin Bibles -- the Personal Size Reference, the Classic Reference (ESV1), and the Reader's Edition -- one on top of the other, then snapped a few photos.

 

The Reader's Edition is taller and wider than the ESV1 (middle), and of course it dwarves the PSR (top). If you've ever handled the Allan's Long Primer, you know this is a good thing. Why? Because that larger, wider footprint combined with a similar width makes the text block's proportions just right for liquid flexibility, taking full advantage of the highland goatskin's suppleness. Of the three options, this one feels the best in the hand ... by far. 

Last Minute Christmas List for 2009

Wondering what to get that hard-to-buy-for Bible fanatic in the family? Looking for last minute ideas for ministers and mentors? If so, then the Bible Design Blog Last Minute Christmas List for 2009 is just what you need. I've compiled an index of items that an, um, enthusiast like myself would enjoy receiving -- and more importantly, things I'm pretty sure you can still get your hands on in time. These are also things (for the most part) I haven't review here on the site. So here goes...

Study Bibles

ESB Study Bible in Cordovan Calfskin (Crossway)
 NIV Study Bible in Black Goatskin (Cambridge)

Nothing says "I love you" like a big leather-bound Study Bible. (Nothing says "You need a theological education" like a big leather-bound Study Bible, either, but you don't have to include that in the gift card.) We have two magnificent options to consider here: the award-winning ESV Study Bible in Crossway's best binding, the brown cordovan calfskin, and the classic NIV Study Bible in luxurious black goatskin from our quality-conscious friends at Cambridge.

Plenty of superlatives have been written about the ESV Study Bible, and they're all well deserved. It's a beauty inside, printed and bound in the USA on Primalux GSM 30 paper. But have you seen the cordovan calfskin wrapper? If you ask me, it blows the black version out of the water -- and the lining is almost prettier than the cover:

 

R. L. Allan's Journal (Third Generation)

I've written in the past about the original Allan's Journal, about matching Bibles with notebooks, and even about my search for the perfect tan notebook. Now, with the debut of the third generation of Allan's Journals, it's time for another installment in the occasional series. This time, the journals are available in two sizes and a variety of colors, in both buffalo grain goatskin and highland goatskin. They're designed to be ideal companions to R. L. Allan's spectacular line of quality-bound Bibles. 

It might be too late to snag one with stocking-stuffing in mind, but if you'd like to try, I'll start off with the ordering and pricing information. You can order the Allan's Journal directly from R. L. Allan in Scotland, paying £20 for the Pocket Journal and £25 for its big brother, or you can get them through EvangelicalBible.com in California, where you'll pay $35 and $42,respectively. The Pocket Journal measures 6 1/8" x 4 1/2" x 3/8", with 256 pages of lined, lightweight writing paper, and comes in your choice of black, tan or brown highland goatskin. The full-size Journal boasts the same number of pages, measuring 7 3/4" x 5 1/16" x 3/8", in your choice of antique brown or black buffalo grain goatskin. Every journal has a sewn binding, a ribbon bound in, and art-gilt page edges.

 

Above: The Pocket Journal line-up: black, tan, and brown.

Below: The full-size Journal in antique brown buffalo grain goatskin.

 

If you paid attention to the measurements, you'll notice that while the Journal and the Pocket Journal have very different scales, they're both the same thickness. Or should I say thinness? Because they feel very thin in the hand. The lightweight paper delivers a high page count in a slender package, which is wonderful for portability, though there are some trade-offs, as we'll see.