Bible Design and Binding

Red Bibles Redux

It's no secret I love red Bibles -- I'm talking about the covers here, not the letters inside -- and the recent arrival of two new ones inspired me to revisit the topic. So let's begin with a stack of examples, everything I had at hand when the idea struck:

Above: A stack of red Bibles.

From top to bottom, here's what we've got. (1) First, an Eyre & Spottiswoode Royal Ruby Text KJV bound in calfskin with a snap closure -- one of the new ones, so we'll see more photos in a moment. Beneath that are two Cambridge REB New Testaments, the beautiful single-column setting now only available with a green flex cover. The (2) top one is bound in burgundy calfskin (stiff) and the (3) bottom in dark red calfskin (flexible). For an interior spread photo, check out the Pocket New Testaments post. Underneath them is (4) the hardback TNIV from R. L. Allan's, bound in red goatskin, and the (5) Cambridge Pocket Cross-Reference NIV in Cabra bonded leather. Next, (6) an unusual Cambridge KJV Cameo bound in the nice, flexible French Morocco of yesteryear, in a strangely mottled red/black pattern. Then (7) another KJV Cameo, this one in burgundy calfskin with a deeply impressed grain, and underneath it (8) an Eyre & Spottiswoode Royal Sovereign Central Reference KJV bound in fine grain morocco, also a recent arrival. A close-up of this text setting is what I used to illustrate the Red Letter Bibles post. At bottom, we have (9) the Cambridge Newtype large print KJV bound in burgundy cowhide.

Chocolate Brown Goatskin Details

My box from Allan's arrived yesterday morning, containing the long anticipated ESV1 BR in chocolate brown goatskin, as well as the NIV Cross Reference with Concordance, NIVC1 BR, in chocolate brown goatskin. I reviewed an earlier edition of the NIVC1 bound in a beautifully grained brown calfskin, and I'll naturally do a follow-up on the new cover option. Now that I have all three of the cover options for the ESV1 on hand, I'm also working on a side-by-side photo shoot that, in addition to reviewing the new edition, will help those of you uncertain of which color you prefer to make an informed decision.

For now, a couple of detail shots of the brown goatskin. The ESV1 has a tighter, more regular grain, while the NIVC1 is a bit more unpredictable. I'll say more in the review, but I want to add that the size of the NIVC1 -- a large slimline comparable to the KJV Long Primer -- seems perfectly ideal for the highland goatskin cover. It's wonderfully flexible, and makes me wonder what an ESV Thinline in highland goatskin would be like.

Above: Grain detail. You can also see the difference in the ribbons. The NIVC1 features two brown ones, while the ESV1 BR has three different colors: green, purple, and brown. It's a subtle feature. The effect is quite nice.

Above: "Chocolate" is the right word for the color, which has an almost confectionary sheen.

Still More Unboxing: Allan's ESV1BR

Remember Daniel Holle? On January 22, I reported that his son had visited Allan's in Glasgow to snap photos of the chocolate brown ESV1. Actually, it was his nephew, and in addition to taking the pictures, he also selected a copy for David. Since highland goatskin is a natural product, there are variations from one cover to the next. David's nephew was able to compare and choose the one he thought David would enjoy the most. Pretty cool, huh? Now that the Bible has arrived in the US, David sent along some more photos:

Unboxing Again: Allan's ESV1BR

Another set of unboxing photos, this time from Scott McIntosh, who snapped these when his new Allan's ESV1BR arrived. This is the ESV1 (essentially the same as a Classic Reference) bound in chocolate brown highland goatskin with three contrasting ribbons. They're available direct from Allan's, or in the US from EvangelicalBible.com. (By the way, if you missed Paul's note in the other thread, you should definitely follow the EB link and take a look at the new photos he's taken. Very nice.)

Unboxing an Allan's ESV1 r

Tom Burk sent along some unboxing photos of his new Allan's ESV1 r -- a limited edition in black highland goatskin with three red ribbons. Word is there are only fifty of these in existence, so if you like what you see, you might want to visit Allan's right away. Here's what Tom had to say:

Many feel there is no better Bible publisher today than R.L. Allan. It was no surprise that this Bible did not disappoint that sentiment. My Bible arrived carefully packed and marked as "Priority Mail" with "Royal Mail" postage from the UK  It is amazing how you can feel the quality of these Bibles after holding one for only a few minutes. Everything about this Bible instantly said it was made by R.L. Allan. The goatskin cover is soft and has a beautiful grain pattern. The scarlet found in the ribbon markers, head and tail bands, and under the gold edged paper make a striking contrast with the black cover, thus making this Bible look simply outstanding. I was using an ESV Heirloom Bible, which at 10 pt is much larger text than in found in this Bible, which is listed as a 9.5 pt. I was worried that this might affect my reading. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the font in the "ESV1 r" is very comfortable on the eyes, and should be easy to read both for study and in the pulpit.

Here are the photos:

First Glimpse of Chocolate Brown Allan's ESV1

Thanks to Daniel Holle, whose son popped into the Glasgow storefront of R. L. Allan's and snapped these photos, I can now share some images of the new ESV1 BR -- the same Classic Reference layout but with a chocolate brown highland goatskin cover and three ribbons: one green, one purple, and one brown. Over the holidays, I've gotten e-mail about this edition pretty much every day, so I just want to let everyone know that (a) yes, I know about them, (b) I'm expecting one to review, and (c) I plan to do a side-by-side post of the three current color options: black, tan, and chocolate brown.

With no further ado, let's take a look at the photos:

Above: The three editions of the Allan's ESV1 -- tan, chocolate brown, and black.

Above: A peek inside the tan edition.

Above: The chocolate brown, with the brown, purple and green ribbons displayed.

TNIV Noteworthy New Testament

Forgive the tint on the first photo -- a testament to what happens when you don't check your white balance. This little TNIV New Testament is from Zondervan's NoteWorthy collection. It represents a clever combination of design features. Like the ESV Journaling Bible, it owes a debt to the Moleskine journal, from whence the elastic band and back pocket are derived. It also borrows from the classic interleaved Bible concept by offering a blank page facing each printed one, so you can make an entire page worth of notes. Pretty cool, if you ask me.

By making this a New Testament instead of an entire Bible, Zondervan has kept the footprint relatively small. The tall, narrow format makes it ideal for dropping into a pocket. I'm not a fan of the elastic bands on the spine -- but hey, tastes vary. All in all, I think this is an excellent pocket NT.

 








The best news, however, is that for this edition, Zondervan ditched the typeface that mars so many other editions of the TNIV in favor of a more traditional serif font. (I know some of you like the almost-but-not-quite-scripty typeface, but to me it's the visual equivalent of fingernails on a blackboard. The setting here is downright elegant, and the book's proportions show the single column off to good advantage.   

Paper quality is nothing to write home about, but this is a very inexpensive edition -- a 'beater' NT, if you will -- that's handy for jotting notes. I wouldn't bust out a fountain pen or anything, but a Pigma Micron would do all right. Has anyone out there been using one of these? I'd love to hear what you think.

Nemo me impune lacessit

I honeymooned in Edinburgh. My literary agent wears a kilt. My favorite sermon was by Sinclair Ferguson. Ian Rankin is one of my favorite crime novelists. I'm a Presbyterian, for goodness sake. So I can't come out and say the best thing about Scotland is R. L. Allan & Sons. But they're right up there, my friends, next to John Knox and the bagpipes.

Everyone has been receiving their new ESV1s, and mine finally arrived this morning. Needless to say, I'll be reviewing shortly, but consider the above (yet another) a sneak peek. If you like the ESV, this is turning into quite a month. What is it, fourteen new editions out?

The ESV Study Bible is on my desk as well, so look for some SB-related goodness soon. In addition to this, I have the NLT SB and the Cambridge goatskin-bound NIV SB to discuss. Lots of fun on the horizon.

Allan's Ruby & Cambridge Pitt Minion Compared

I'll be writing more about both the Pitt Minion and the R. L. Allan's Ruby KJV shortly, but I thought you might be interested in some side-by-side photos I took for a reader who asked how they compared. These were quick shots, so excuse the quality. If you're wondering how they stack up, though, this might help.

Above: The Ruby on top, the Pitt Minion on bottom. Both in black goatskin.

Pocket Psalter

You'd think the psalter -- the "songbook of the church" -- would be easy to find. Just try and find standalone copies and you'll discover it's not. After hunting around, though, I found an impressive example of the genre, a green hardback pocket Psalter published by the Holy Transfiguration Monastery (though I actually got mine from Liturgica.com). For $14, you get a hardback with a sewn binding, printed on "Mohawk Superfine, an acid-free paper of the highest quality and durability." The design is Old School in the best sense, a two-color layout that is a delight to the eyes and suggests a love both for the psalter and the printer's art.