Can Your Wide Margin Take the Heat? (Or the Rain?)

In his eighties anthem to robot gratitude, Dennis DeYoung thanks Mr. Roboto for "doing the jobs that nobody wants to." In a similar spirit, Jonathan Ammon at Bible Reading Project deserves a hearty domo arigato. If you've ever wondered what your Cambridge wide margin would look like after a "two day backpacking adventure" stuffed inside a sixty pound pack, he's done the job for you:

 

 

While the wide margin is rained-on and a little worse for wear, Jonathan is impressed by how well it held up. Here's his assessment:

Overall the Bible underwent the trial amazingly well. It is fully functional. The pages are slightly wrinkled and have some orange discoloration where the art gilding was rubbed off and bled through. The gilding on the top is roughed up quite a bit and the cover has some impressions pressed into the leather, but in a few months this will just be character and will remind me of the ministry.

When I write about the durability of a well-made Bible, what I have in mind is that it stands up better to bookish use than a glued binding. Every so often, I get requests for Bible vs. water, Bible vs. fire, deathmatch-type scenarios, which kind of misses the point. No book is impervious to damage, certainly no book made of leather and paper. If a Bible falls apart after stopping a bullet, being dropped from a twenty story high rise, or forgotten on a Deep South dashboard for six months, I don't see that as an indictment of the manufacturer. The kind of patina I'm interested in is the result of ordinary use.

Having said that, I like Jonathan's spirit. A lot of people would have left the goatskin edition at home and taken something cheaper on that trip, but he figured he'd bought the thing as a lifetime investment and might as well get some use from it. I'm glad he did, if for no other reason than that was can see the results. For more photos and Jonathan's firsthand account, check out the post at Bible Reading Project.

And if you know of more "use" photos, share the links!

Comments

[Wilson Hines]

I am very, very cautious with my Cambridge WM KJV. I won't leave it in the car, just like I won't leave my MacBook Pro in the car; one is sacrilegious and the both are painfully expensive LOL!

Regarding the binding on the Cambridge WM, a new airman just joined our church (We're in an big Air Force town) and he had a Cambridge Pitt Minion KJV. It is so nice and small compared to my WM. I love it! However, he had the same problem I did when I bought mine and that was the inside black flap on each end was coming unglued. It isn't due to heat for him or me; as previously testified, I don't play with the heat. He was so frustrated. After I explained that mine suffered the same fate very early into it's ownership, I then gave him the number of the man whom fixed my Bible's poor workmanship. He, like me, didn't want to have Cambridge (Baker U.S.A) warranty the Bible, because after all, they don't fix the Bible, they replace the Bible. At this point in the life of the Bible I had too many notes that were too precious.

So, my bindery guy took my leather off and using the same leather he put it back together using new black inside material. He also added four ribbons, at my request and said the Bible was "literally better than a new one."

He also informed me that these Cambridge WMs in the 80's and 90's didn't suffer the same quick fate. I bought mine in 2003.

I am sure there are many people frustrated with this issue and I wonder why Cambridge either hasn't addressed the problem (evidently so) or is being quite in the way they are addressing the problem? It is my intention on moving to R.L. Allan in the future. The only thing I'm waiting on is finishing my undergraduate degree and a fantastic edition of the ESV from R.L. Allan will be my treasured remembrance of that accomplishment as I move on to Seminary at Dallas.

[Jay Davis]

I had my nice TNIV XL rebound by Leatherbibles.com (150.00 approx)so I try to take care of it but one Sunday I picked up my Bible and my coffee and headed to my van to go to church to preach...as I got to my van I set my Bible with my notes inside on top of my van while I opened the door and placed my coffee into the holder. I got to the church office and was looking for where I had placed my Bible and notes and could not find it in the office anywhere...so I backtracked... got back in my van took the same road back to my house and there was my nice Bible in the middle of the road open with the notes far gone into the wind with obvious tire marks in the pages...It is still readable and usable but the binding (the zondervan part I suppose) took a beating - I did some gluing but it still looks like it was run over. But I know know where my Bible was - on top of my van then in the middle of the road! By the way - my coffee was okay...

[Jesús S. (Madrid - Spain)]

I must confess that if I ever had such a nice Bible I would never risk it like that, and would take instead a more affordable/replaceable version on such a trip. I guess that I'm still too much attached to worldly goods.

[John]

If you want to take an expensive bible into the rain, that's fine. If you want to keep it at home and bring a beater bible, that's fine too. Wanting to protect an expensive bible from damage does not mean that you are too attached to worldly goods. Perhaps a useful illustration would be amateur car racing. Most people wouldn't bring their family car there. They have a slightly beat up car that they use for racing.

My point is this: It's up to you what sort of perils you want to expose an expensive bible to. You don't have to feel bad for wanting to keep it in good shape.

I have this particular bible that Jonathan brought camping. I no longer have doubts about it's durability. I just wish they could find a way to make gold gilt edging that doesn't dissolve so easily. Even a little drop of rain will leave a mark.

[John]

I have a few cardinal rules about bible care: never expose it to any kind of dampness, extreme heat or cold...otherwise, the binding will suffer greatly-they are only sewn and glued together. This was always a warning that Allan's gave when sending out their bibles before computer days many years ago. Plus for me they are special books that will last for many years becoming a real part of life...but that is just me...different strokes for different folks! Interesting.

[bill]

On Mark's facebook, our dear Donna introduced us to these waterproof Bibles:
http://www.bardinmarsee.com/
I'd think if one did a lot of monsoon backpacking, they'd be a must! That's not me, but I was intrigued by their description of waterproof synthetic paper. At <$40 for almost 400 sheets, it appears to be quite affordable.

Apparently a lot of labels we're used to seeing on the containers of commercial liquid products use waterproof synthetic paper:
http://www.yupousa.com/paper/index.php
but it's in a lot thicker sheets than what BardinMarsee is using. Has anyone seen and handled one of these Bibles? What's bleedthrough/ghosting like? How does it "feel"? Is it more or less likely to tear than normal Bible paper?

[Margaret of the Sea of Galilee]

Long-time reader and first time commenter here.
I have a Cambridge calfskin KJV which I got for my 21st birtday in 1977.
The slip-case is long gone so don't know the model and can't find it on the CUP site - inner calfskin "leaf" measures 5 5/8" X 4" and all I can find inside is "ompact C.R. India Paper.
I took it on my "Big Overseas Trip " in my little back pack for 2 years - through the Canadian Rockies, US Highway 101 on a bicycle, France Switzerland, Germany also on the bicycle (along with Julian of Norwich and a Thomas Merton biog), the Scottish Highland mists, tropical Tahiti. It has been with me everywhere.
It got a bit of "the damp" in cheap London accomodations for a couple of years. It has actually been rained on pretty badly once (the circumstances are now lost to me in the mists of history) so a few pages are a bit crispy and crinkled. In the Queensland tropics (1985) it fared ok and for the last 24 years it has survived the heat and humidity of the Holy Land.
A few scuffs on the covers and spine, the ribbon is frayed and curled, the gilt-edge is a bit patchy but if you look at it in a forgiving light it still has a bit of a glow.
When not in use or on a shelf I would put in in a simple plastic bag - really -no zip-lock or anything just what was to hand.
Hope my recently acquired CUP black morocco BCP will be as tough.

[Ryan]

In regards to the "waterproof" Bible they're actually very nice with less bleed-thru than a "normal" edition. They even have signatures intact but with a bunch of glue (neatly done though) so I'm not sure of the nature of their binding. The text itself is quite readable. I've checked them out in person at a bookstore but haven't bought one yet.

They're actually pretty neat, I've been waiting for a whole Bible (not just NT) for reading while hunting (high humidity kills normal paper) and it appears that there's an ESV whole bible availible for pre-order (deliv. in October). Given the size of the NT (A little smaller than a Pitt Minion), I'm thinking it's going to be a pretty thick book.

I have had this idea to have a Bible rebound in tan natural pigskin for outdoor use (like Theodore Roosevelt's Pigskin Library), and this may just be the basis for that project.

[Erik]

All I can say is, Jonathan...you've got guts. :-)

As someone who owns a few very expensive, high quality Bibles, you're pics made me cringe...yet at the same time, made me want to bring my Bible anywhere. I know, scary thought. ;)

[Matt Morales]

I have the NIV Waterproof Bible and it is tough.

1. It is about the same size as an Allan's ESV1 but atleast 3x as heavy due to the paper.
2. The paper feels very sturdy and slick. I can hold the whole bible by one page and swing it and it doesnt rip.
3. No bleedthrough/ghosting. Maybe a hint but nothing like any other bible.

http://www.amazon.com/Waterproof-Bible-Bardin-Marsee-Publishing/dp/0979239451

[bill]

Ryan and Matt, thanks for the info. I suspect these are a "perfect bind" binding style but unlike paperbacks being pretty much exclusively bound (glued) with polyvinyl acetate, which breaks down with age, these "papers" probably open up a wider range of binding glues. They might even fuse together at temperature, basically welding the binding, and making them at least as strong as a side-stitched volume. Of course none of these approaches permit a book to nicely lay open like a Smyth-sewn (saddle-stitched) volume, still, a lot of "sewn" Bibles that receive glowing comments here are of the side-stitched variety.

Here's where I'm headed with this. I don't think I'm the only one who's disappointed in the modern state of Bible paper. So my question is, is this a desirable paper replacement product to use in regular Bibles, other high-quality books, or archival materials, ie applications where waterproofing is of only tangential concern? It appears to be quite a bit heavier/denser, but is that an issue with people? Those of you that value the Pitt Minions and Compacts, is it just a volumetric thing or would weight "kill the sale"?

Traditional paper also has the very nice property that it folds, and even hinges nicely, making many-sheet signatures possible, which is the basis of Smyth-sewn binding. I doubt this synthetic stuff can be folded without springing back, and is probably difficult to sew anyway, so a perfect bind (single sheet signatures, so to speak) is probably the only option. But what if the perfect-bind is stronger than a side-stitched traditional volume, even over decades of use? Could this be a viable material for $100-300 bibles? Unless they're "loss leaders" of a major corporation, these waterproof bibles prove the material cost of synthetic paper is not an issue. If the inner (gutter) margin is generous enough to permit easy, parallel-to-the-eye reading, will the high-end market accept a book that doesn't open more and more flat as it ages, ie Smyth-sewn bound, or would they if the paper had less ghosting and added strength?

Or is the tactile "feel" just not acceptable in a leather-bound, high-end market? Maybe glare is also an issue?

I sure wish some major publishers would speak up here. What's being considered? I think Zondervan has been mentioned in connection with these Bibles. They're no dummies. Are these volumes mere market trials, floating the balloon of different paper possibilities? Calling them waterproof plays to one of their strong suits. But it's not the only advantage.

Sorry Mark if I'm high-jacking the thread, but we don't appear to have a topic dedicated to paper and it's a key part of the overall design package.

[Ryan]

Bill,

I don't know how the signatures are attached to each other, but the characteristic "bumps" of intact signatures are pretty clearly there. The glue that I've seen may simply be what is holding the cover to the text block. The reason that I don't feel it's "welded" as you describe is that even the brand-new version I looked at opened and stayed open pretty well. I would imagine that a volume specifically desinged for maximum durability would use a true sewn binding.

The paper itself is pretty nice, but dense compared to traditional paper. I don't think gloss is a major drawback (being synthetic it's probably pretty controlable during production). Folks who write a lot in their bibles may note some issues, but those can be corrected with appropriate writing implements (not an issue with Rite in the Rain notebooks... and that would fit well with Mark's "matching notebook" theme.)

The weight of a volume & traditional inertia (Can I get art gilt edges on this stuff?)is probably what would keep this from becoming a "common" binding material, though I'm thinking that there's probably a pretty huge market that would appreciate it (parents of little children who are always slobbering/spitting up is one example). I hope it becomes more prevalent in the future.

To bring this back to the theme of "use" of higher-end editions. I keep a Pitt Minion ESV in brown goatskin with me every day. It's been on camping trips, road trips, and hauled to work every day in a briefcase, and will get some more outdoor use this deer season. It has some "blotches" from moisture on the gilding, but the less than delicate handling is making the initially stiff goatskin absolutely perfect.

[Jesús S. (Madrid - Spain)]

Is there any affordable way of restoring the gilding?

[bill]

excellent question, hope someone gives a definitive answer. I'm guessing... If just a few rain spots, I'd try diluting gold nailpolish with acetone and touching up the spots. You want it dilute so it soaks into the paper, not just lies on top. And I'd lightly clamp the volume between boards when doing it too. Let it sit 24 hours and carefully open the pages.

[Rod Summers]

Forgive me, but this story reminds of a passage in Hebrews 11: "They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated- of whom the world was not worthy-wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth."