The KJV/MEV Parallel Bible from Passio.

August 15, 2015August 15, 2015 Bob SnyderLeave a comment

This review is about the quality of the Bible not the translations. The KJV has been around for a little over 400 years and is quite well known. The MEV is supposed to be translated from the same source texts as the KJV so don’t expect that many differences. This Bible came packed in a padded envelope.

I would like to say that it arrived completely undamaged, but it did not. There are a couple bent corners.

No big deal, but worth a mention, since all of the books I’ve received from Charisma House/Passio have been packaged the same way. The hardback Bible has a dust jacket that has the information a retail box would have on it. I don’t use dust jackets, so that was not a big loss. The cover is black and has in gold on the spine, “KJV KING JAMES VERSION” under that is, “Parallel Bible KJV/MEV” and then, “MEV MODERN ENGLISH VERSION PASSIO”

The attractive spine is hidden by the dust jacket. On the front cover the book is imprinted with the, “PARALLEL BIBLE KJV/MEV.”

Once opened, you’ll notice that it is, of course, case bound with 3 blank pages before the Title Page.

This is followed by the copyright and publisher information page.

Directly after that is the Table of Contents. Next we have The KJV Epistle Dedicatory page to King James.
Next up is a Dedicatory page for the MEV to Queen Elizabeth II. (That is just kind of strange to me.)

From there it is straight into the Old Testament. The KJV is printed on a slightly grayed out watermark to differentiate it from the MEV. The MEV is printed in the left column. The paper is pretty white, although it is excessively translucent. It is not near opaque enough. This doesn’t help when the font is only a 6 pt. font in size.

The Bible was printed and bound in America.

It looks like line matching was employed. That helps offset the problem caused by the thin paper. The binding is sewn and flexible.

If treated right it should last a long time. It seems to be a sturdy Bible. There are very limited notes, to the point of being nonexistent. If you purchased this Bible for that reason you will be disappointed. I guess that will teach you to look at the product descriptions more closely. The book titles, chapter and verse information are printed on the top outer corners of the pages, page numbers are at the top, center. It is a double column, black text format.

There are no fancy features here to run the cost up. No gilt page edges, ribbon markers, or concordances here, just the text of the two versions, the only exception to that is the One Year Bible Reading Plan after Revelation.
All in all it is a mediocre quality Bible with nothing of interest to offer except the two versions in parallel, and that is probably all the reason you need to buy a copy. The American production quality is good and the printing is consistent and sharp. For the money you can afford to have one just to compare the translations. I would like to see this in a 4 way parallel with, KJV/MEV/NKJV/NASB. I think this would go a long ways for the textual criticism guys.

ISBN: 9781621366409
Make sure to check out all of the pictures I took of this Bible here.

Bible Reviews

The Holman NKJV Compact Ultrathin Bible in Brown Genuine Cowhide is a Winner! It is one of the Best Small Bibles I’ve Seen.

August 4, 2015August 4, 2015 Bob Snyder8 Comments

The Compact Ultrathin from Holman arrived at my porch, well packed in a cardboard box, with paper packing.

The retail box is a two piece box that should be retained for storage. (Once you get this it will never be stored, it is that good.)

Inside the box the Compact Ultrathin is wrapped in black construction paper to protect it during shipping.

The Holman New King James Version Bible in brown genuine cowhide leather is one of the best compact Bibles I’ve seen. It is a bit smaller than the Pitt Minion settings, larger than the Ruby Text settings, while also remaining an ultrathin. Here is a picture of it with the Cambridge Cameo on the left and the Cambridge Pitt Minion on the right.

It is a great design. 2K/Denmark did the typesetting/layout for Holman and I have to say it looks excellent. Even though this Bible was manufactured in China, Holman has managed to ensure quality control. I don’t know how they accomplish this, as many of their competitors have failed. The cover is their standard chocolate colored, soft, cowhide leather. It remains one of the nicest covers you can get for the money.

It is aesthetically pleasing with decorative spine hubs adorning the spine and gold lettering. NKJV inside a circle is at the head of the spine, with, “Holy Bible” in the middle, and the Holman logo at the tail of the spine.

The Bible is case bound so the inside color matched, vinyl liners are pasted down to the inner cover.

The covers corners are mechanically folded with precision.

Inside you’ll find a, “Presentation Page “and three, “Occasions to Remember” pages.

Next are the, Copyright page and the, “Table of Contents” along with a, “Preface to the New King James Version” and, “God’s Plan for Salvation.”

The paper appears to have a good amount of titanium dioxide in it as it is pretty white and opaque for being so thin. The print is also laid out with line matching, which greatly aids in legibility. 2K/Denmark used a modern digital font that at 6 pt. in size remains easy on the eyes during reading. They got the line spacing just right as well. At the beginning of each book the title is printed boldly in larger font on the top of the page. The chapter headings are bold as well. Book names and chapters are indicated on the top, outer margin of each page, while the page numbers are on the top near the gutter of each page.

The print of this red letter edition is arranged in a double column, paragraph format, with limited notes on the foot of the page.

There is a brown ribbon marker, as well as decorative head and tail bands. They match the colors of the cover and liner. The page edges are gold gilt and there is a small concordance in the back.

The individual word entries are in red while their concordance information is in black. This makes looking up words quick. It is easy to distinguish between the word you are looking for and the concordance information.

After the concordance are eight pages of color maps printed on slightly heavier and more glossy paper.

It is the same as the, “Presentation” and, “Occasions to Remember pages.” Measuring in at 6.75”x4.5”x .75” this handy little Bible is very portable and can fit in a lunchbox or purse easily, leaving plenty of room for other items. It can be had for $22.50. Considering its size, low price, and brilliant design, I predict that this will be number one in my top ten compact Bibles of 2015 Comparison. (If I do one… would you all like a top ten?) That being said, GO BUY ONE NOW! Visit my flickr page to see all of the super cool pictures of this Bible 🙂

Bible Reviews

A Review of the Modern English Version (M.E.V.) Personal Size, Large Print, Reference Bible, Covered in Cherry Brown, Imitation Leather.

July 23, 2015July 23, 2015 Bob Snyder4 Comments

One big concern with the MEV is the translation method. I didn’t address it when I wrote my review of the thinline. The translators were grouped and assigned sections to translate. The entire Bible was translated by several different groups of extremely varied theologians. Some of them I would never have trusted to do translation. The bad ecumenism is actually touted as a good thing by some and a selling point as well. I look at it as an attempt to pleas a broader range of people and increase potential sales and adoption. This leads to some inconsistency between books. The inconsistencies don’t amount to error, but bad doctrine starts with small things. I like the way the MEV reads most of the time, but on occasion it slips back into early Modern English sentence structure. I don’t know if that is an effort to maintain the, “majesty” of the KJV or just an oversight. As time goes on, many of the inconsistencies presumably will be addressed. I’d also love to see thousands more cross-references. Our modern NASB has of 90,000. TBS’s KJV reference Bible has around 200,000 references and notes. Another thing I’d like to see them do is to kick off the translation team the Roman Catholic, Church of Christ, and other unorthodox sects. I’m a bit tired of all of the Textus Receptus fans calling all other versions, “per-versions.” As far as I’m concerned they need to get a grip and realize the critical texts are just as valid if not more so.

I know it seems I’m being awfully critical of this translation, but don’t be mistaken, I do actually like the way it reads for the most part. I don’t think I would recommend it over my NASB or NKJV for serious study just yet. I would like to get a hold of the KJV parallel they are selling to do a comparison of the entire Bible while making notes in the margins. It is a very promising translation based on the Textus Receptus.

With that out of the way, let’s get down to the nuts and bolts. This Bible arrived packaged in a padded envelope from the publisher. Not my preferred packaging, but it worked. The Bible arrived undamaged.

Inside the envelope was a lightweight two piece retail box containing the Personal Size, Large Print, Reference Bible.

I really like the size of this Bible. It is just right for me personally. I wish it were available in calfskin leather or goatskin leather.

The cover that is on it is not real leather. It doesn’t smell like leather, it doesn’t feel like leather, and it costs much less than leather. It is decorated and attractive looking.

I find the coppery tone of the gilt on the page edges complimentary to the color of the cover and ribbon marker. It is positively a good looking value Bible.

The binding on this one is Smyth-sewn.

It is a case bound Bible with paper interior lining pasted down to the cover.

The publisher’s information and copyright page show that this Bible was made in China.

There is a presentation page in the front and a weird dedicatory page to the Queen?

What!? I mean, come on Patrick? Get with the program Patrick! Don’t be anachronistic Patrick! (Fans of “TheLutheranSattire” channel on Youtube will get the joke. Look up, “bad analogies” on their channel. It will make you lol)

The Books have an introduction page that many find helpful.

The paper is pretty white and could be a bit thicker or more opaque. On the upside, it does appear that line matching was employed effectively. That is when the text on the opposite side of the paper is printed directly behind the text opposing it. This makes the text more legible. The text is pretty big at 11 pt in size. It is also printed pretty consistently given it was done in China. The text is bold and black against the paper contrasting well.

The text is arranged in a double column format with limited notes and references at the bottom of the page.

After scripture headings you’ll also notice parallel reading references that will take you to another place in the scripture where the same thing can be read. Off to the right side of this picture you can see it references Luke 12:22-34

This is a red letter edition so the words of Christ are printed in red. The red print is bright and easy to read.

There is a small concordance in the back.

Overall, lots of potential and room for development. For now, it is pleasant to read and I recommend it for the price and sewn binding if you are a Textus Receptus kind of person.

Make sure to check out all the pictures on my flickr page.

ISBN-13: 9781629980676

Bible Reviews

A Review of the Trinitarian Bible Society’s KJV Pocket Reference Bible with Metrical Psalms in Black Calfskin Leather PS7U/BK

July 17, 2015July 17, 2015 Bob SnyderLeave a comment

According to the Trinitarian Bible Society’s website the Pocket Reference Bible is, “The complete practical choice of Bible for carrying in pocket or handbag. Wide selection including camouflage for armed forces, vinyl, and quality leather. With button snap and zip options.” If you aren’t aware, “T.B.S.” stands for, “Trinitarian Bible Society” not at all related to the horrible cable television station with the same initials. TBS is located in London, England. They are a ministry that produces good quality and value AV KJV Bibles for circulation for the glory of God. Since they are a ministry, they have very good prices. They have kindly sent me a copy of the Pocket Reference Bible with Metrical Psalms in calfskin leather for review on my blog. This TBS Bible is approaching the smallest, usable size a Bible can be. It is 5.2″ x 3.6″ with 6 point font. Let’s just say that, you would have to have very good eyes, or a very good optometrist. That being said, if you are a fan of the Pitt Minion typesetting and are looking for the smallest, compact Bible you can read, covered with genuine calf split or in TBS’s words, “calfskin leather”, with zipper and metrical Psalms, then your search is over. Not a fan of the Pitt Minion? Love the Royal Ruby text typesetting? TBS has you covered with their Royal Ruby Text Bible with Metrical Psalms covered with the same calfskin and in addition, thumb indexes and zipper enclosure. It is a hair larger and the font is 6.5 pt. in size. You can read my review of the older edition here. The Pocket Reference Bible arrived undamaged and carefully packed in a good size cardboard box with packing material.

Inside the box, the Bible was in its retail packaging which is a heavy cardboard slipcase wrapped in clear plastic.

Upon removing it from the packaging I observed that the zipper is a smooth operating nylon zipper. It is flexible and quieter than a brass zipper.

I unzipped the cover and looked at the inside cover first. It is a case bound Bible so the inner liner is a vinyl that is paper backed and glued to the calfskin and end papers of the text block. The corners of the cover are not easily seen as they are covered by the zipper material that is sewn to the perimeter of the cover, making the cover perimeter stitched. There are read and gold head and tail bands decorating the Pocket Reference.

The first page is a presentation page.

You can fill this out and gift this Bible. The person receiving it from you will be sure to remember the occasion. After the presentation page is a few blank card paper pages made of the same paper the presentation page is made from. You can also see some of the thread from the binding.

You’ll notice on the bottom of the copyright page with the publisher information that this Bible is printed in Belarus.

I don’t know much about Belarus except it is a small former soviet country near Poland, Lithuania, and Russia. I know TBS in the past has used a printer there. It would be interesting to know more about this. I think I will ask them next time we correspond. As you keep turning pages you notice, The Epistle Dedicatory and the List of pronunciation of words and proper names. The text of this Bible is a double column verse format with references in the center column in black text edition. (Pitt Minion Reduced)

It utilizes Bible paper and has all edge gilt. There are two black ribbon markers for your daily readings from Old and New Testaments. In the back of the Bible you have A Bible Word List and Reading Plan. Then you’ll find the Psalms in metre.

The Pocket Reference is the winner in portability. Not just because it is very small and thin, or that you could zip its semi-yap cover closed, put it in your pocket and charge off to wherever you need to be, without damaging the pages. Nor is it the winner because it is a complete Bible or even that it includes references. Not even the fact that it is sturdily constructed out of good quality materials or the smyth-sewn binding, or that it should stand up to a mobile life quite well. It is that fact that all of these features are all together in this tiny package that make it the winner. Since it uses the familiar Pitt Minion typeset all of the elements are where you would expect them to be like, page numbers, book names, and chapter numbers, so on.

Be sure to check out all of the pictures I took of this Bible on my flickr page.

You can purchase your own from TBS directly here, Pocket Reference Bible with Metrical Psalms (calfskin) ISBN 9781862282728 PS7U/BK (Black) Page Size: 5.2″ x 3.6″ Thickness: 0.8″ Print Size: 6 point

Bible Reviews

Cambridge Pitt Minions, a Tale of Three Covers.

June 30, 2015June 30, 2015 Bob Snyder8 Comments

Comparison Review of Morocco, Calf Split, and Goatskin Leather Covered Pitt Minion NASB Bibles.

I’m fortunate to have been sent review copies of the same Bible, covered in three types of leather that Cambridge uses. They have sent me three Cambridge Pitt Minions in NASB Bibles. One of them is covered in black Morocco leather, another in black calf split leather, and the last one is covered in brown goatskin leather.

This review will depart from my other reviews in that I am not covering the same points over again. You can read about the Pitt Minion typeset and binding information here. Instead, I am going to compare the different types of leather covers. You can view the Cambridge page with information about their leathers here.
Here is their definition of what Morocco leather is, “Leather taken from a split hide – sheepskin, calf or cowhide. Slightly thinner than the other grades of leather and therefore relatively flexible and soft even when new. A French Morocco binding offers high-quality real leather at an economical price.” This is the cover material for the lowest priced Pitt Minion at approximately $60.00 available at online retailers.

Here is their definition of what calf split leather is, “A superior grade to French Morocco leather, tanned to approach the quality and feel of full-grain calfskin leather.” This is the next step up from the Morocco leather and can be purchased for about $80.00 online.

Finally, here is their definition of goatskin leather, “A beautiful and very resilient top-quality, natural grain leather. Traditionally known as ‘Morocco’ leather, it is strong yet supple and is used in the finest bindings.

The best goatskins for bookbinding come from an area of northern Nigeria where environmental conditions are ideal for producing hides with the necessary balance of strength and suppleness. Here they are partially tanned using the same vegetable materials and methods that have been used for several thousand years. Traditionally, they were transported by camel across the Sahara desert to merchants in Morocco (hence the term ‘Morocco leather’) from where they would be distributed throughout the ancient world.

Cambridge uses Nigerian goatskins finished in the United Kingdom for our top-of-the range bindings.”

I understand there can be some confusion when talking about cover materials. There really isn’t a standardized nomenclature. I hope this information clears it up for anyone with questions as to why the Morocco covers were more expensive than the calf split covers. I know I’ve been asked this question before. I’ve included plenty of pictures and a video to help you see as much of the differences for yourselves, but I have to tell you, only by handling these Bibles will you be able to appreciate the qualities of each one. All three are wonderful Bibles and offer specific benefits. The price of the Morocco covered Pitt Minion makes it exceedingly affordable. You get all of the great features of the Cambridge Pitt Minion text block, like the sewn binding, thin profile, compact size, complete Bible, clearly printed modern digital font, references, and red letter text. This cover has a bit of a glossy look to it and the grain is not pebbled. It is also quite a bit thinner than the other two. However, it is vastly superior to other Bibles on the market that advertise having, “genuine leather” covers. Many of the lower quality Bibles that claim to be genuine leather are covered in split pigskin leather with an artificial grain pressed into it. They almost look plastic and are very shiny. This Morocco cover is much better and the price has remained very affordable.

For just about $20.00 more you can get the calf split leather, again with all of the great Pitt Minion features, plus a more supple, thicker, leather with a deeper natural texture. The calf split is also less shiny or glossy than the Morocco cover. This gives it a much more tactilely pleasing feel in your hand. I’ve also noticed that it softens up quite well after it is broken in.

For about $100.00 you can acquire the Pitt Minion covered in goatskin leather.

I know it seems like a lot of money, but when you pick one up you’ll understand why it is more. The goatskin covers have a finer pebbled grain that is soft to the touch. It is softer than the calf split or top grain leathers while remaining durable.

If you have ever held a sheepskin leather Bible you would find that it is very supple, but susceptible to scratches and tears. The goatskin is great because it has the best features of both types of leather. It is soft and supple while remaining effective at protecting the text block. None of these three are edge lined so you won’t be doing any, “Bible yoga” with them. I wouldn’t recommend bending them that much regardless. Even if a Bible is flexible enough to bend like you might see some people do online, it isn’t a good idea.

Over time it will loosen your binding too much and prematurely wear it out.

No matter what your budget is you can find a Pitt Minion to fit and be assured that it will last long enough for your kids to enjoy if you treat it with respect.

Make sure to check out the rest of the pictures on the flickr page.

You can purchase these Bibles on Amazon, Christianbook, or Cambridge Press.

Bible Reviews

A Review of the Holman KJV Rainbow Study Bible in Mantova Brown LeatherTouch.

June 24, 2015June 24, 2015 Bob Snyder4 Comments

This Bible was shipped in a cardboard box and arrived undamaged. The retail box is a two piece box and should be retained for storage.

I was pleasantly surprised by the cover. Most synthetic covers feel very cheap and sometimes smell like chemicals. This one felt quite a bit like a cowhide cover, albeit very thin.

I was concerned about the quality of this Bible due to the Chinese manufacture.

Several of the Chinese manufactured Bibles I’ve received lately from various publishers have been poorly constructed and/or have been odoriferous. This one did not smell like anything. It was just lacking any noticeable odor. The construction was solid. It was not anything special as far as materials go, but they did a good job with what they had.
The inside cover is lined with brown paper to match the color of the cover.

The perimeter is stitched as well.

The spine is gilt with, “KJV” at the head, “Holman Rainbow Study Bible” under that runs parallel with the spine, “Every Verse Color Coded, Bold Line Edition” under that, and the Holman logo at the bottom.

There is one brown ribbon marker. The binding is sewn for durability and flexibility.

This is probably one of the more flexible inexpensive Bible’s I’ve seen to date.

It does need to be worked over a lot when you first get it. The page edges are gilt in gold colored foil.

The pages are all stuck together due to the liberal use of pigments on every page. This is not uncommon where publishers use a lot of color in a Bible. Once you get the pages separated, hopefully without tearing any of them, you can get down to using it. The paper is sufficiently opaque. Having every section of text printed in a colored field also helps cut down ghosting, while reducing contrast between the text and page.

I have mixed feelings about this. I like to have good contrast between the text and page, but I also like to have as little ghosting as possible. The colored fields correspond to their category at the bottom of the page. There are twelve categories.

I don’t find this particularly useful. I would prefer that they break down their categories into hermeneutical ones. For instance the categories they use are; Discipleship, Outreach, God, Salvation, Love, Commandments, Family, Faith, Prophecy, Evil, Sin, and History. I would have preferred something more along the lines of; Lexical-syntactical, Historical/cultural, Contextual, Theological, and Special literary. There could be a color for different lexical variations. There could be colors for historical and cultural differentiations. It would be great to see a color for poetic language, one for apocalyptic language, one for historical narrative, and so on. I hope you get the idea. I would find this immensely more helpful than the system that is employed. Not to mention that the bar at the bottom that acts as the key has many colors that are very subdued and similar. It is difficult to readily identify what you are looking at on the page. I am not color blind, I assure you. I do enjoy all of the maps and drawings dispersed throughout.

I found them informative and clarifying. In place of red letter text this Bible employs an underlining system and goes a step further. The words of God the Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all underlined giving them equal import and attention. Of course many of us end up underlining the entire Bible after we have had it for a while. So this would get in the way of your own underlining just like the colored background fields don’t lend themselves to highlighting.

Holman’s product information has this to say, “The Holman Rainbow Study Bible: KJV Edition has a unique color-coding system that allows readers to identify quickly and easily twelve major themes of Scripture throughout the text: God, discipleship, love, faith, sin, evil, salvation, family, outreach, commandments, history, and prophecy. The system also underlines all words directly spoken by God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Other features of this Bible include 12 pages of color maps with index, a Bible reading calendar, concordance, subject guide, Table of Weights and Measures, “Know What God Says,” “100 Popular Passages,” and “365 Popular Bible Quotations for Memorization and Meditation.”
I like when Bibles have reading plans in them. I also like to have a concordance. This one has those features and some extras like, some ruled pages for notes in the back. It is not your typical study Bible. It lacks all of the footnotes at the bottom of the page. It is not an overly thick Bible. I found it comfortable to hold and use. Because it isn’t very thick it also isn’t very heavy. The binding and cover make it easy to hold in your hands or lay on your lap to read. The font is also large enough to read easily. I did not get the font size from the publisher, but if I had to guess, I’d say it is 8-10 pt.

Overall, I really liked the form and layout. It is a double column, verse format, with center column cross references.

For an inexpensive KJV Bible with some interesting added features that remains fairly light and comfortable to hold, I don’t think you could go wrong with this Bible. My only concern would be uniform quality control from the Chinese manufacturer. As long as Holman can keep strict quality control they should have a winner here.

Make sure to check out all of the pictures on the flickr page 🙂

Format: Imitation Leather
Number of Pages: 1632
Vendor: Holman Bible Publishers
Publication Date: 2014
Dimensions: 9.25 X 6.25 X 1.5 (inches)
ISBN: 1586409115
ISBN-13: 9781586409111
Availability: In Stock

Bible Reviews

The NASB Pitt Minion Reference Edition NS446XR in Brown Goatskin Leather is the Best Compact NASB You Could Purchase.

June 14, 2015June 14, 2015 Bob Snyder17 Comments

In my opinion this is the number one, of the top ten compact/ultrathin NASB’s you will find on the market today. The top three are Cambridge Pitt Minions. First place, goes to the goatskin leather. Second place, to the calfsplit leather edition. Third place goes to the edition covered in black French Morrocco leather. Here is a picture of the brown goatskin Pitt with the black calfsplit one. They are both gorgeous.

I’ve reviewed Lockman Foundation Bibles. I’ve looked at cheaply constructed Zondervan’s. If R. L. Allan made a compact NASB, they would be the only serious competition on the market. That would only be true because Cambridge and R. L. Allan would be using the same printer and binder, the world famous Jongbloed of the Netherlands. They are the premier printer and binder of almost all the high quality Bibles available today. Chances are, if you have a luxury Bible it came from Jongbloed. It makes sense that the Cambridge Pitt Minions are the highest quality Bibles in this market niche.

The attention to detail and quality is what sets the Cambridge Pitt Minions apart. When you hear, “You get what you pay for.” Many times you disregard it as a sales pitch, but with Bibles it is usually quite true. I strongly urge you not to balk at the initial price. Consider how many cheaply made Bibles you will buy over the next sixty years of your life. This is assuming, of course, that you are a serious student of God’s word, and read it daily. Now, multiply the twenty to fifty dollars that you would spend on a glued together, poorly covered, mass produced Bible, times the number of replacements you would purchase of that sixty year period. Let’s arbitrarily say you’ll need to replace it 6 times, and that is a conservative estimate on my part. Thirty times six is one hundred and eighty dollars. That is less than the price of the top of the line Pitt Minion. Not to mention the amount of time and energy it will take to transfer your notes/highlights/underlines.

The Pitt minion can be handed down to your children and if taken care of I dare say their children. The Cambridge Pitt Minion comes with a lifetime warranty from Cambridge and I fully expect these Pitt Minions to outlast me. How loving would it be for you to hand down one of these to each of your Children with your personal highlights and underlines? They could read from the same Bible that you held lovingly in your hands each morning and remember how faithful you were. Your zeal for God and His word would be an inspiration to them.

My Pitt Minion arrived in a cardboard shipping box safe and sound.

The retail box is a clamshell design and should be retained for storage.

The first thing I noticed about this Pitt Minion when I removed it from the box was the brown goatskin leather cover. It has a simple elegant perimeter line, and a naturally soft and supple feel.

Goatskin leather offers the best of both worlds. It is tough and supple, sacrificing neither quality as you might see with other leathers. The leather covered Bible smells the way a Bible should. It doesn’t reek of chemicals. The brown reminds me of a milk chocolate color. It might be difficult to see in the pictures.

This Bible is a case bound one. It is not edge lined.

The spine is smyth-sewn. All of the pages are part of a group of pages called a signature. These pamphlets called signatures are stacked up and then sewn together offering a supremely flexible and durable Bible.

The corners are and the end pages are well done.

There is a simple, yet attractive presentation page in the front.

Decorative head and tail bands cap the ends.

The spine is stamped with, “Holy Bible” at the top, “New American Standard” under that, “Cambridge” at the bottom in gold.

The page edges are art gilt, with red under gold.

There are two brown ribbon markers. I appreciate when a Bible has at least two ribbons. Many of us read daily from both the Old and New Testaments. It is very convenient to have a built in marker for each. I don’t like using a book mark for one and the ribbon for the other. I wish all Bibles would come with at least two ribbon markers and a third for the Proverbs as devotional reading. Here is a picture of the Pitt Minion on top of my Clarion. The Clarion has red ribbons. The Pitt Minion has brown to match the cover. I’m not sure which I like more 🙂

Upon opening the Bible the texture and opacity of the Pitt Minion’s India paper was very impressive for a compact. It is uniform in texture and color.

The typeface is 6.75pt on 7pt Lexicon No 1.

Here is an excerpt from the products information page on Cambridge’s site,

…a stylish modern digital typeface which like its predecessor combines utility and elegance. It uses the Lexicon typeface, carefully chosen for its economical use of space. This is the font used for dictionaries and encyclopaedias because it accommodates a lot of characters in a small space. The result is a classic Bible for the twenty first century produced in a remarkably compact yet readable form.…

I agree with them, that it is very legible. It also employs line matching. The text on the other side of the page is printed directly behind the text on the other side. This dramatically reduces distraction while reading, which is especially important in a compact Bible.

The text is laid out in a double column, center column, paragraph format in this red letter edition.

Book and chapter are located on the upper, outer corners of the pages, with the page numbers on the upper inner page corners, making it much easier to look up passages as you flip through the pages.

It is remarkable to have a full reference Bible of this size, approximately 7.5″ x 5.25″ x 0.75″ that remains legible. It is a testament to the design work that went into the Pitt Minion. There is even a useful concordance in the back along with a map index and 15 color maps.

If you are in the market for an ultrathin or compact high quality Bible look no further. The Cambridge Pitt Minion is the only choice.

You can purchase your copy on;

evangelicalbible.com

Amazon.com

Christianbook.com

or also on Cambridge’s site

Make sure to check out all of the pictures I took of the Cambridge NASB Pitt Minion in Brown Goatskin Leather NS446:XR-B1168 on my flickr.com page.
ISBN:9780521604116

isbn: 9780521604116

Bible Reviews

A Review of the Hendrickson 1611 Edition King James Version Bible with Apocrypha, in Black Genuine Leather, Hardback.

June 11, 2015June 11, 2015 Bob Snyder3 Comments

The 1611 KJV edition is not a true facsimile edition. It is a modern printing of a 19^th century typeset that changed the font from Gothic to Roman. It is still in early Modern English. Here is what Hendrickson has to say about it on their product information page,

“For 400 years, the Authorized Version of the Bible—popularly known as the King James Version—has been beloved for its majestic phrasing and stately cadences. No other book has so profoundly influenced our language and our theology. Over time, however, the text has suffered subtle and occasionally troublesome alterations. This edition preserves the original 1611 printing. Word for word and page for page, the text with its original marginal notes, preface, and other introductory material appears as it first did. The sole concession to modernity is a far more readable roman typeface set by nineteenth-century master printers.

“A valuable and essential addition to every Bible library.”

—John R. Kohlenberger III”

Here is a list of features from their page as well,

“FEATURES

• Original preface and translators’ notes

• Alfred Pollard’s classic essay on pre-1611 English translations and the history of the Authorized Version

• New essays on the enduring impact of the KJV and the Apocrypha

• Handsome page design with decorative initials

• Page-edge gilding and ribbon marker (genuine leather only)

• Clear type is convenient to read and reference

• Special logo on book spine and packaging commemorates the 400th Anniversary

• Includes the Apocrypha”

I was curious about the quality of the leather when I requested this Bible for review. I wondered what they were going to use. I was also curious about how and where they would have it printed and bound. I thought, “Perhaps because this is an anniversary edition they will give it special treatment? Surely for the steep price it has to be better built than some of the lesser Bibles I’ve seen recently.” Well, I was let down. When I opened the cardboard shipping box I was presented with a nice looking retail box.

I was hopeful it contained something well done. I opened the retail box hoping to smell leather. Nope! No pleasing leather aroma. That is not to say that the cover is not genuine leather. It most likely is. Hendrickson says that it is. That being the case, the only way they can consider it genuine leather is if it is pigskin leather. Pigskin leather is the cheapest, stiffest, thinnest, leather you can get. Any cheaper and they would be using bonded leather or synthetic covers. The leather covers hardback book boards. There is a nice looking cross decoration on the front cover. It is not tooled leather.

The next thing that struck me was the excessively wavy page edges. It looks as if when the text block was trimmed they used a dull blade or when they were finishing the text block they had a machine problem. I don’t know for sure. I have also noticed a reviewer on a large retail site had the same problem.

After noticing these two very big disappointments, I concluded that this must have been made in China. I opened it up. I looked for the publisher information page and confirmed my suspicions.

I really hope the publishers of Bibles realize they are dealing with God’s word, not just a retail product.

Those were the two biggest gripes I had about this Bible as far as obvious design and construction goes. I can’t criticize the typeset or layout as it is dictated by the 19^th century typeset they chose to utilize. I know some have complained the font to be small. It is a bit on the small side, but overall, not bad.

You have to remember what you are dealing with, an old typeset and layout, which includes the Apocrypha.

If you aren’t familiar with it, don’t feel bad. Most people have no idea what it is. It is a collection of non-canonical books the early Church used might have used (kind of like how we use other books in our studies) We don’t use them, because they aren’t inspired. If you are looking for a modern paragraph format Bible with side column references, then buy a modern Bible… That should go without saying. Alas, people are very indiscriminate when shopping sometimes. They can also be woefully ignorant about what they are buying. That is one of the main reasons I write these reviews. I hope to help shoppers find the perfect Bible for them. Then they can go out and purchase confidently without apprehension.

I opened the case bound Bible to see that even though it isn’t the quality I hoped for, they did at least do a decent job pasting down the corners and the end pages.

The paper and printing are next. The paper reminded me of cheap newsprint paper in color and texture.

It was a bit smoother and higher quality than newsprint, but definitely not up the standards of Hendrickson’s competition. The Spine of the Bible was rounded, which is a good thing.

The binding is sewn, giving it the ability to open flat and stay that way while reading it. The page edges were gilt, even if they were warped like a Ruffle’s potato chip. The ribbon markers were decent.

There are decorative head and tail bands. The print seemed consistent, even if it smudged a little. I love some of the Books and Bibles Hendrickson publishes, but this one doesn’t make the cut. If this Bible were only available at the suggested retail price I wouldn’t buy it, but you can pick it up online around the fifty dollar range. In my opinion, even fifty dollars is thirty dollars too much.
To see all the pics make sure to check out my flickr album of this Bible.

KJV Bible–1611 Edition: Genuine Leather, Black

ISBN-13: 9781565631625

Size: 5.25 x 8.25 inches; 8-pt type

Hendrickson’s page

Amazon

Christianbook

Bible Reviews

A Side by Side Comparison of the Oxford NRSV with the Apocrypha and Book of Common Prayer in Black Genuine Leather, to the Cambridge KJV with the Book of Common Prayer in Purple Calfsplit Leather.

May 24, 2015May 24, 2015 Bob SnyderLeave a comment

You can look at all of the pictures on my Flickr page. Here is the link for the Cambridge album. Here is the link for the Oxford album. I received both Bibles undamaged. They were packed in their own cardboard boxes and were inside retail boxes that were both sturdy enough to be used for storing the Bible in when on the shelf.

Upon opening the boxes I was impressed with the purple color of the Cambridge Bible. The Cambridge cover was also more supple out of the box. This is due to the Cambridge being covered in calfsplit leather which is split cowhide leather as opposed to the Oxford’s cover which was your typical pigskin leather. The Oxford was ornamented with a gold stamped cross on the front cover as well as a gilt line around the inside perimeter of the cover. Both covers have a perimeter groove pressed into them.

The Cambridge and the Oxford alike have gold gilt page edges. I thought the two purple ribbon markers were attractive. The Oxford has three yellow/gold ribbon markers that were pretty nice even if they were a bit more narrow. I would have liked to see three ribbon markers in the Cambridge because of the added BCP.

Here is the Cambridge

Here is the Oxford

The Oxford was surprisingly smaller than the Cambridge even though it had the Apocrypha and the Cambridge did not. Due to all of the added text there had to be a compromise. I don’t think it was a very wise one. The Biblical text in the NRSV is very small. At 6 pt. it is still legibly printed, but does present a strain for longer reading. I think it would be fine for carrying to Church as long as you bring your reading glasses. If you do have poor vision I would not recommend this Bible for the Bible portion.

The BCP is perfectly legible being printed in 8 pt. font.

The Cambridge suffers from the same problem albeit not of necessity in my opinion. Of course I am not privy to all design constraints and I am certain there are reasons for making the Biblical text 6 pt. and the BCP text a very generous 11 pt. I would have liked to see the BCP down to 8 pt. and the KJV up to 8 pt. I think that could have been achieved.

Both Bibles have sewn bindings and are case bound. The Cambridge is printed and bound in Italy by L.E.G.O. SpA. Vicenza. It is the KJV Pitt Minion, Reference Second Edition setting.

That would be a double column, paragraph format layout with references in the center column. The small 6.75 pt. font is clearly and uniformly printed on very good and opaque Bible paper.

The Book of Common Prayer is mostly single column format. It is printed in large 11 pt. font making it easy to read. It is also printed to the same standards as the rest of the text.

Both Bibles were designed and had their layouts done by Blue Heron Bookcraft in Battleground Washington.

When we compare the two Bibles there are some big differences in quality. The Korean printed and bound Oxford uses a less opaque paper that tends to wrinkle, while the Cambridge is very smooth.

Here is the Oxford

Here is the Cambridge

The print in the Oxford is not as well inked as the Cambridge. The Oxford is a double column paragraph format with very limited footnotes. It is the NRSV translation. Both Bibles are black letter editions.

The Oxford does have some gold colored and heavily textured papers utilized for the presentation and family records pages. They look nice, but can be a chore to write on contrasted to the typical Cambridge presentation pages.

The Book of Common Prayer is mostly single column and printed with large 8 pt. font.

The Apocrypha is printed the same as the Biblical text.

Neither have maps or helps in the back. The Cambridge has, “Common Prayer” at the top, “Holy Bible” in the middle and, the Cambridge logo at the foot of the spine stamped in gold. The Oxford has, “The Book of Common Prayer” at the top and, “The Holy Bible” underlined and, “Apocrypha” immediately under it in the middle, and, “Oxford” at the bottom of the spine.

The Cambridge is a bit larger in length and width, but they are about the same thickness.

The Oxford might be a hair thicker. Both are aesthetically pleasing and pleasant to hold, however the Cambridge is the winner in the tactilely pleasing category. The calfsplit leather just is so much better than the shiny pigskin leather of the Oxford. I honestly thought the Oxford was bonded leather when I opened it. The head and foot bands on the Oxford were not properly glued down either. For quality of assembly I would have to give the Cambridge the win. Here is a look at the inside covers of both. You can see that they are both case bound.

Here is the Cambridge.

Here is the Oxford. It has a gilt line around the inside cover.

The Cambridge is geared more towards Anglicans and the Oxford is geared more for Episcopalians in my opinion. At least after reading much out of the BCP in each one that is my impression. The Cambridge utilizes the 1662 Book of Common Prayer while the Oxford uses 1979 Book of Common Prayer. If you are looking for an in depth list of what both BCP’s include I’m not going to do that, however I do have pictures of the table on contents pages that have those lists. You can see them on my Flickr page. Click here for the first page of the Cambridge Table of contents. Click here for the second page. Click here for the first page of the Oxford Table of Contents. Click here for the second page. The Cambridge is almost twice the price of the Oxford, but in my opinion it is worth it. I also like the KJV more than the NRSV. I am neither Anglican nor Episcopalian so I am not biased one way or another towards one of these Bibles. If you must have an Apocrypha in your volume then you would have to go with the Oxford. Both are sturdy and well made. They should provide years of service… as long as your eyes can take the small text. Make sure to visit the links to the Flickr photo album pages for both Bibles so you can get a good close look at all of the features.

If you are interested in purchasing either one here are some links for you,

Cambridge or Amazon or Christianbook

Oxford or Amazon or Christianbook

Bible Reviews

The Holman HCSB, Deluxe Ultrathin Reference Bible in Black Genuine Top Grain Cowhide, is an Excellent Idea, but Poorly Executed.

May 11, 2015 Bob SnyderLeave a comment

I would love to give this Bible a glowing review. It is a good idea. My favorite size Bibles have been ultrathins. They are generally pretty portable and handy. An ultrathin with, sewn binding, some references, top grain cowhide leather cover, edge lined binding, opaque paper, and legible typeset is a wonderful Bible to have. If done correctly, they could sell them as fast as they could make them. Like I said earlier though, the design needs to be properly executed. There have been some problems with both review copies I was sent. The first copy arrived with the gold stamping on the spine missing in spots,

the tail band was sliced, one of the end pages was dog eared, the cover was not glued down to the inside liner well enough, this allowed the pages to get between the liner and cover, and the pages were all stuck together. The gold stamping would have been enough to send this Bible back as it is fairly expensive. The second Bible sent to me to replace the first one has leather debris sandwiched between the cover and the liner, leaving two lumps on the front cover.

These will cause the cover to wear out and eventually put holes in it. That would have been enough to warrant sending that Bible back as well. Generally, I am very pleased with Holman Bibles. Many of their Bibles are produced in South Korea. This one was produced in China. Almost all of the incidents I’ve had with defects in workmanship or materials, have been with Bibles made in China. It doesn’t seem to matter who the American publisher is, whether it is Lockman, B&H, or Hendrickson when they make Bibles in China the quality control is problematic.

Where Holman stands above some of the other publishers is in their customer service. They have quickly and courteously supplied me with another copy, when I brought the defect to their attention. Some publishers were unwilling to replace defective copies. Lockman has replaced defective copies as well, but this review is of B&H.

If this Bible would have been produced without defects, with a higher quality liner, and end papers, it would have been worth the retail price. I would suggest that B&H stop making this Bible in China, and move the production to someplace with higher quality standards. This would have been a great Bible considering the ambition of the design. It was shipped in a cardboard box with paper packing.

The retail box inside is a two piece box, that should be retained for storage.

The Bible inside the box was wrapped in black construction paper to protect it during shipping. The cover is supposed to be top grain cowhide leather. It does feel very soft,

but it has been pared pretty thin.

I don’t know if Holman supplied the leather or allowed the Chinese binder to provide the leather. The liner looks like a synthetic material. It doesn’t glue well to the hide cover. The end papers are very thin as well. This might have been done to increase the flexibility of this Bible given that it is edge lined bound and not case bound. I appreciate what they were attempting to do, but the end papers just came off as cheap. I love when a Bible has a genuine, high quality hide as a cover. The smell and feel of a genuine hide, not to mention the durability, ensure many years of use. Combine that with a flexible sewn binding, and you have an easy opening Bible that lies flat on your table, or can be wrapped around itself, to be held in one hand for easy reading.

The line matching helps to keep the text legible in conjunction with the uniform printing and ink consistency.

This is a double column paragraph format, red letter edition Bible.

There is an oddity that puzzles me. They printed the book names and chapters on the bottom of the page, instead of at the top where it typically is located. It makes you pause for a moment when trying to turn to a specific scripture. Chances are good that I could have been sent a Bible with zero defects and my review would have been extolling the virtues of this great little Bible. Chances are, you might order it and receive a good copy. I just happened to get tow in a row with defects. The good news, is that Holman will make it right if you get a bad one. If you really want an HCSB in ultrathin that is edge lined and covered with top grain leather, this is about one of your only choices.

Make sure to check out all of the pictures I took of this Bible and its replacement on my flickr page.

9781586404314

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Comparison Review of Morocco, Calf Split, and Goatskin Leather Covered Pitt Minion NASB Bibles.

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)

Share this article :)