Bible Reviews

Wow, the Cambridge Cameo KJV Bible in Brown Vachetta Calfskin Leather is a Triumph of Form and Function!

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I received this Bible from Cambridge gratis for review purposes.  It arrived sufficiently packaged in a cardboard box with one other Bible.

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They did not deform or break through their packaging and the Bibles were in perfect shape when they were delivered.

Upon opening the box I was presented with the clamshell retail box, which should be retained for storage purposes.  The Bible inside the box was instantly striking in appearance.  I am accustomed to many different qualities of cover material.  When I picked the Cameo up out of the box I was struck by the soft texture of this type of calfskin leather.  The grain was smoother with smaller pebbling compared to goatskin leather.

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I was expecting a darker brown with a texture like other top grain cowhide Bibles.  I was pleasantly surprised.  This calfskin was smoother and soft.  The front of the Cameo is hot stamped with, “Holy Bible” in gold.  There is a channel pressed into the leather around the perimeter of the cover.

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On the spine of the Cameo is, “Holy Bible” at the top, “King James Version” in the middle, and the Cambridge Logo at the bottom.  They are all hot stamped in gold.

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The page edges are beautifully art gilded with red under gold.

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The construction of the Cameo is top-notch.  In addition to having a wonderful cover that will last a lifetime, it has a sewn binding that will last as long as the cover.  Because of these two fine qualities the Cameo is a pleasure to hold and read.  The Bible opens well and lays flat easily without being overly flexible.

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This edition does everything right.  The only way this could be any better is if it were in NASB.

The inside cover is lined with vinyl that is glued down.  The corners are finished nicely.

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There are two ribbon markers that match the color of the cover as well.

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Some less expensive Chinese or Korean Bibles try to entice you with a very supple calfskin cover lined with calfskin or another very flexible material.  Then, they drop the ball with either the paper or the fit and finish.  That is not so with the Cameo from Cambridge.  The paper is nice and opaque.  The font is a cleaned up 8 point, Petit Medieval Clarendon type.  It is bold and easy to read.  The text is arranged in a double column verse format with center column references.

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In the front of the Cameo you have publication information page followed by a nice presentation page.

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After that is the text of the KJV.  Lastly, there is a very useful concordance in the back along with 15 color maps that are indexed.

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I know there is a big trend now for the single column paragraph formats.  Personally, I find it more difficult to focus on during reading in my home.  I have a busy house and am always getting interrupted.  As a consequence I routinely lose my place and have to look for where I left off so that I can resume reading.  The paragraph format has all of the tiny verse numbers dispersed through the text and finding them or remembering where you left off can be a bit more tedious.  I find it easier to pick up where I left off if I can find the verse quickly.  This is my personal preference.

The Cameo is a delightful size Bible to hold and read anywhere.  I can sit in my recliner and read it, I can read it in bed, I can read it on my work break, and I can read it while I drive…  I was just checking to see if you were still awake.  Never read and drive!   Seriously, seldom will you find a combination of form and function like the Cameo.

Here the Cameo is compared to the Concord.

ISBN: 0521146100

isbn: 9780521146104

KJV Cameo Reference Red Letter Edition KJ455:XR Brown Calfskin Leather

Apologetics · mormonism · Theology

Hey, how ‘bout those free King James Version Bibles the Mormons give away? Surely it is just a KJV Bible right?…

How many people have picked up a Mormon KJV without knowing where it came from?  How many people just took it for granted that it was the same as the 1611 authorized.  Well, it isn’t.  This is what they have to say about it on their site, 1“As guided by the Spirit, Joseph spent about three years going through the Bible, making thousands of corrections to the text and restoring information that had been lost. This restored information sheds marvelous light on many doctrines that are not clearly presented in the Bible as it exists today. These inspired revisions to the text of the Bible are known as the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible. Hundreds of passages from the Joseph Smith Translation are now included in the Latter-day Saint edition of the King James Version of the Bible.”

Want to know why they don’t just use the Joseph Smith Bible?  It is because the, “Reorganized Latter Day Saints” or as they are known now the, “Community of Christ” holds the copy right to the Joseph Smith translation.  Of course it behooves them to not use that translation.  Now that many of us have access to the very old Greek and Hebrew texts with some education we can easily tell that Joseph Smith’s version is a per-version.  We can also contact experts on ancient texts as easily as sending them an e-mail and most of them are happy to explain how Joseph Smith’s per-version is completely, ludicrously, and laughably, the worst fraud attempt outside of the New Word Translation from the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

So they keep passing it off as the authorized KJV when it clearly is not and is even on their web page.  Let’s face it, Mormons have a low regard for the Bible in comparison to their other documents anyway.  Their 8th article of faith explains that plainly, 2“We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.”  We can see that they hold the BOM in higher regard than the Bible and we know their theology and doctrines are completely anti-Christ.

So why do many Mormons insist it is the same KJV?  One reason is that they just don’t know any better.  Mormons like Christians have tons of ignorant people wandering about their ranks claiming to be one of them, while never having read or studied what it actually means to be, “one of them.”  Theology and doctrine matter!  We can’t just keep going on in ignorance.  If you are Mormon, study your documents and see if you agree.  If you can’t agree with your theology and doctrines, leave the church.  If you are Christian, study your documents and see if you agree.  If you can’t affirm you theology and doctrines then leave.

Of course the more insidious reason is that they are purposed deceivers working for Satan.  Why not?  He is their brother and according to them the brother of Jesus.  They don’t see him the way he is explained in the Bible.  You have to remember we are dealing with an unreasonable crowd here.  Most of them have been so blinded by the devil that unless there is a miracle of regeneration worked in them they won’t even leave based on intellectual honesty and reason.  They will suspend them for the sake of their fictitious system of obtaining godhood.

Seriously, how many 2000 year old Biblical texts do we have to dig up before they say, “Hmm, perhaps the Bible is reliable and Joseph was a lying sack of cult.”  It is getting ri-freeking-diculous here folks.  They actually have to willfully close their eyes, ears, and minds to all of the evidence against their false prophet just to keep believing.  “I’m gonna be a god one day, I’m gonna be a god one day, I’m gonna be a god one day, I’m gonna be a god one day.”  Really? Come on!  That doesn’t sound a bit blasphemous or satanic to you?  Really!?  REALLY!!!???

  1. https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-joseph-smith/chapter-17?lang=eng
  2. http://www.mormon.org/beliefs/articles-of-faith
Bible Reviews

Local Church Bible Publishers, The Best Authorized KJV Publisher You’ve Never Heard of.

Evidence KJV LCBP Red Wide Margin LCBP Black  Hand Size 009

A Review of the, “400E1R Mid-Size Note Takers Red 1 Piece (Executive)”

First a little about Local Church Bible Publishers, if you are like me, I had never heard of them, until I did a search on youtube for quality leather covered, sewn binding Bibles.  Then I was confronted with what seemed to be southern brother touting the virtues of his LCBP Bible.  I was a curious.  The cover looked pretty good and the inside cover was edge lined as well as perimeter stitched.

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I searched some more and found the video of their manufacture process.  I was pretty impressed, but then I found out that they only make the authorized 1611 King James.  Now, I don’t have a problem with using a 1611 King James, I just happen to like the NASB and a couple other modern translations better.  Now all you KJV onlyists settle down out there, and stop calling me a heretic long enough to read about the positive features of the LCBP Mid-Size Note Takers wide margin Bible.  If you want to find out what LCBP is all about you can follow this link to their about page.

As for their products, I have a couple of their Bibles and have found them to be generally superior to all other Bibles in their price range as far as the construction and materials go.  The Mid-Size Note Takers in Red Leather came in a cardboard box.  The Bible inside was wrapped horizontally and vertically with paper.  It was not damaged at all in the shipping process.  The first couple of things I noticed when I took it out of the packaging was the smell of leather and the bright red cover.  It was very red.  It stands out.  You don’t see many Bibles as red as this one.

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I’ve seen burgundy Bibles, but this is straight, bright, and red.  I also noticed that the cover was very soft.  It wasn’t shiny and slick like cheaper pigskin leather.  I also noticed that it didn’t have much of a texture to it.  At first when I went to open the Bible I was being careful turning the pages because I didn’t want to tear the pages if they were stuck together, but me apprehensions were unfounded.  The gold gilded page edges didn’t stick together at all.

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The cover is very supple and can be rolled up without hurting it.

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The inside cover lining is perimeter stitched to the outer cover and is just as flexible as the outer cover.  The liner is black.  The perimeter stitching is red like the cover and two matching ribbon markers.  This is an edge lined Bible.  The Bible, despite its name is not mid-size.  It is 9.9″ x 6.75″ x 1.75″

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I think that their designation of mid-size is in relation to the Bibles they produce and not representative of what we see in the market.  The spine has the words, “Holy Bible” at the top and, “Authorized King James” in the middle, and then at the bottom, “Church” heat stamped in gold foil.

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The Paper is opaque and thick.  There are generous 2.5” margins for note taking.

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The paper is thick enough to endure being written on and have minimal show through.  The 11 point font is printed clear and sharp.  This is a black letter edition all text is black.  The text is arranged in a single column verse format.  This aids in ease of use and lends itself to note taking and referencing.

The binding is sewn giving this Bible durability and flexibility.

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It has a concordance and maps in the back.  This Bible is printed and bound in the U.S.A. by LCBP as ministry.  You can purchase it at the link below.

http://localchurchbiblepublishers.com/product/400e1r-mid-size-note-takers-red-1-piecered-thread-executive/

Bible Reviews

The Perfect Size Bible to Sit and Read, The Cambridge KJV Concord Reference Bible in Black Edge-Lined Goatskin Leather, Red Letter Edition.

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Before I get into the vital features of this Bible I want to expound on its subjective qualities that have endeared it to me. At first glance most people won’t notice the exceptional quality of this Bible until they pick it up and give it a closer look.  Some folks won’t even notice even after picking it up.  That is not to say the Cambridge Concord Reference Bible is average or plain.  It is because the Concord is how a Bible is supposed to be.  It is the quintessential archetype of reference Bibles.  It smells like a Bible, it looks like a Bible, and it feels like a Bible.  When I pick it up to read from, I don’t have to struggle with it.  It does exactly what it should do.  It stays out of the way and allows me to focus on reading God’s word.  Everything about it is conducive to that end.

For me, it is the perfect size and weight to hold in one hand. I can comfortably read it while sitting in my favorite chair.  It isn’t heavy or unwieldy enough to require being laid on a table or desk.  It isn’t so small as to necessitate being held close.  It is not a thick Bible, yet contains many references and some helps.

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It is not printed on such light paper that the pages curl up and blow around while you are trying to read.  The pages are not a bright white.  They are off white.  Bright white pages tend to make my eyes strain during long durations of reading the word.  The India paper is strong and opaque.

There is approximately 7/16ths of an inch in the margins for note taking.

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The text is a nine point font that is printed appears pretty bold.

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The Concord is a double column verse format with pronunciations.  It has the references in the center column.

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Even with the references, 128 page Bible Dictionary, Concordance, Glossary, and 15 color maps, the Concord maintains a thin profile without sacrificing paper quality.  The pages are art gilded.  An art gilded page edge compared to a gilded page edge looks a bit more attractive.  It gives the page edges a red tint behind the gold color.  Before they put the gold colored aluminum foil on the page edges they first coat them with a red ink.  Then they apply the gold color gilding.  When the Bible is closed the edges show gold, when the Bible is open you can see the red show through the gold.

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The binding, outside cover, and inside liner, make it supple and comfortable to hold.  This one is edge lined not case bound.  It is rigid enough to not flop around like some unlined Bibles do, while it maintains flexibility with its synthetic liner that is stitched to the outside cover edges with black thread.

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The Binding is a smyth-sewn binding done by Jongbloed in the Netherlands.  They are famous for their quality work and history of Binding Bibles.  Currently, most luxury Bibles are bound by Jongbloed.  A sewn binding is a must in my opinion.  If you hope to hand a Bible down to your children and for them to use it a sewn binding is the only option.  With a sewn edge lined binding all of the pages are stacked in separate pamphlets called signatures.  These are then stacked and sewn to tapes or strings in the spine of the Bible as well as being sewn to each other.  This is why you don’t have the front and back pages falling out of a sewn binding like you would with a glued case bound perfect binding where the pages are cut, then stacked, then rubber cemented together.  Those pages are not connected to each other in any way.  If you bend the spine in a glued Bible, eventually pages will start falling out.  Not so with a sewn binding.  If you take care of it and treat it with respect it will last and last.  The other benefit of this binding is the functionality of it.  The Concord lays flat right out of the box.

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The cover doesn’t flop up and get in the way.  The covers can be rolled backwards and out of the way even.  I wouldn’t do this as a practice, but that is how flexible this Bible is.  This particular Bible is a red letter edition.

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That simply means that the words of Jesus are printed in red text, including places where He is quoted by the apostles.  Some people find this to be a very helpful feature.  The Concord has two black ribbon markers.  They are good quality without being too thick.

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I have had some Bibles with thicker markers that actually imprint on the pages they are between.  I have had other Bibles with markers that were so thin that they crinkled up and are almost useless.  It is very unattractive to open the Bible up to crinkled pages or markers.  The Concord has neither problem.  The Bible ships in a clamshell type retail box.  I would keep the Box for storage.  This Bible is to supple to stand on its edge.  It should be laid flat on a flat surface when not in use.  There was a slight problem with the shipping.  You can read about that here.

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Cambridge has assured me they are looking into this and it shouldn’t happen again.  This Bible is as pretty close to being perfect.  If Cambridge would produce this in an NASB I would be satisfied.

Here are a few good places on the web to purchase this Bible if you are in the market.

evangelicalbible.com

Amazon.com

Christianbook.com

Cambridge.org

Here are a few pictures of the Concord compared to the TBS Westminster

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Over all, I found the Concord to be a superlative Bible. It stands out from the mass produced Chinese and Korean Bibles as an example of what they should be aiming for.

KJV Concord Reference Bible, Black Edge-Lined Goatskin Leather, Red Letter Text KJ566:XRE

Black Goatskin Leather RCD266

isbn: 9780521512978

Bible Reviews

A Pleasant Surprise from Holman, Review of the Holman KJV Minister’s Bible in Black Genuine Cowhide.

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Holman sent this Bible packaged in a cardboard box with some paper padding it.

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The retail box was inside.

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I had no idea which Bible they had sent me.  I didn’t remember requesting one for review.  I was pleasantly surprised by the arrival of the KJV Minister’s Bible.  When I had originally requested it they were out of stock.  It seems that Holman remembered and sent it when it became available.

When I opened the shipping box I found the retail packaging inside. Keep the two piece gift-box to store your Bible.  This Bible is so supple that it will need to be laid flat for storage.  When I opened the retail box I could see that the Bible was wrapped in a dark colored construction paper to keep it safe from being deformed.

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I like this better than being, “shrink wrapped” with plastic wrap.  Plastic wrap has the tendency to pull the corners down and deform the cover and text block.  If the Bible arrives damaged or during use develops premature wear rest assured, Holman has a lifetime warranty on this product.

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I was impressed by the feel of the genuine cowhide leather cover. It was soft and supple.

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The Bible is edge lined not case bound.

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The edges of the outer cover are rolled over and sewn down.  The spine of the Bible has decorative spine hubs.  They used to be where the signature tapes or ribbons were sewn to the signatures.  The cover would have to be fitted over them which produced the raised hubs.  Now it isn’t an indicator of a sewn binding or not.  You’ll be glad to know this one does have a very flexible sewn binding.  It allows this Bible to do some pretty amazing things and come out unscathed.  It lays flat right out of the box and can even curl back under the spine with both covers at the same time.

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I wouldn’t make a practice of that, but it can do it.  When held open with one hand it drapes over your hand.

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The spine of the Bible is imprinted with, “KJV” at the top, “Holy Bible” in the Middle, and Holman’s logo at the bottom.

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The pages are edge gild with gold colored foil.

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There are two very nice quality ribbon markers in this Bible, one is red and the other is black.

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The pages are opaque, but could be a little more so.  They have a generous inch wide margin for adding your own notes.

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Wide margins are quite helpful for Pastors.  The opacity of the paper is important so that text doesn’t show through the page.

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While preaching and looking down at this Bible you should be able to focus on the text and not what is behind it.  The font is equally conducive to preaching.  It is a neat and clean 12 point font that is consistently inked throughout the Bible in this black text edition.  The text is arranged in a double column verse format making it easy to quickly locate verses.  Book names, chapter, and verse are printed on the top of the page along with headings.

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There are many aids for Pastors included in this Bible.  Here is a list of some of them; Sixty-six page KJV concordance, eight maps, Where to Turn When, Plan of Salvation, color presentation page, Various wedding and funeral outlines by Jim Henry, “Why Read the King James Version?” by Calvin Miller, “8 Traits of Effective Church Leaders” by Thom S. Rainer, “21 Essentials of Authentic Ministry” by James T. Draper, “Four Kinds of Expositional Preaching” by Ed Stetzer, “30 Keys to Giving an Invitation” by O. S. Hawkins, “Leading a Child to Christ” by Bill Emeott, “Reaching Students with the Gospel” by Lynn H. Pryor, “The Importance of Baptism and Communion” by Rick White, Commitment Counseling, The Christian Year and Church Calendar, The Apostles and Their History, and Table of Weights and Measures.  With all that this Bible offers it would be a wonderful blessing for your Pastor as a gift, even if the Pastor is your Dad.  Pastors shouldn’t feel bad about buying such a nice Bible.  It is money well spent on a product that should last for a long time.

You can purchase it on Christianbook.com, Amazon.com, or direct from Holman.

ISBN-10: 1586409301

ISBN-13: 978-1586409302

Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1.1 x 8 inches

Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds

Bible Reviews

Intriguing, a Bible that opens from top to bottom you say? Review of the Cambridge KJV Transetto Text Edition Bible

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I saw this Bible on the publisher’s web site and was intrigued by it. It was a very novel idea at least and a practical one at best.  Unlike traditionally bound compact or pocket editions this Bible does not open and read like the same.  With a traditionally bound book you would open the front cover from the right to the left and read from the top left to the right and proceed down the page until you move on to the next page to the right and then you would turn the page and continue.

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In the picture above I have it laid open on top of a Cambridge Pitt Minion NASB.

In the Transetto you lift the front cover up and you are presented with the two pages becoming one book width page laid out as a double column text format to be read as one page, from to left to right all the way to the bottom of the other open page. Then you would flip up the next page and continue in the same way.

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The way you read it is not the only unconventional thing about this Bible. The cover is made of a reinforced card paper.  It is not connected to the text block all the way around like a regular book.  It is only glued to the text block on one side while the rest floats freely around the Bible when closed.  When opened and laid flat you can see the individual signatures and how they are sewn together in the spine.  When opened towards the middle of the Bible you can see how the sewn binding allows the Bible’s spine to bend all the way around and back into itself.  This is critical for the success of this kind of binding.

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The only cons of this particular book that I noticed were the corners of the Bible were bent due to the lack of care involved in the shipping process, the flimsy quality of the cover material itself, turning pages up instead of right to left, and the lack of chapter and verse numbers next to the book names on the corners of the pages.

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For some reason someone in shipping at Cambridge thought it would be a good idea to package this Transetto KJV with a $250.00 KJV Concord Reference Bible in goatskin leather? The packaging would have been sufficient for just the Concord Bible by itself, but when you cram the Transetto in there on top of it all it is a different story.  The package arrived mostly open due to shipping.  The USPS put a rubber band around it to keep it together.  When I opened the package the box for the Concord Bible was caved in and creased.  Most people like to keep their Bible boxes in nice shape to store their Bibles in.  The Transetto had one corner smashed up about three quarters of an inch.  This wrinkled the pages.  If I had purchased these Bibles instead of getting them gratis for review purposes, I would have had to send the Transetto back for replacement.  This would have cost Cambridge the shipping it should have paid in the beginning as well as a Bible.  Proper shipping saves money and is better customer service and appreciation in the long run.

The cover could be made a bit more sturdy or out of a more flexible fake leather material. They just need to do something a little different to protect the text block.  It is tough to do on an inexpensive, unique binding like the Transetto’s.  It is not a big con, but one nonetheless.

The unique binding makes turning pages counter intuitive. We are all used to doing it the common way so it takes some getting used to.  That being said, it really isn’t a big con either.  How many people have gotten used to hitting a button to turn a page with e-readers?  It’s not a big deal.

It wouldn’t have taken much for Cambridge to put the chapter and verse numbers on the pages along with the book names. It would have made turning to a specific spot much faster.  I can understand why they didn’t do that.  This is a small text Bible meant for reading daily, not as a reference Bible.  We can’t expect too much from something this small and portable.  The main reason for buying this, besides novelty is portability.

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With all of that in mind, there are more pros than cons or at least the pros are more significant than the cons in my opinion. If you are looking for as compact a Bible as you can find, that is still legible, then this is it.  The layout enables the Bible to use a 7 point font and fill most of the space on the India paper making it easier on the eyes than conventional compact Bibles.  Most conventional compacts use between a 6 point font and a 6.x size font.  You have to buy what they call a large print compact and they are usually thicker and/or bigger in width and height.  So if small, stowable, and legible are your primary concerns for a take anywhere compact then this is a very good option.

ISBN 9780521249294

Bible Reviews

Review of the Trinitarian Bible Societies (TBS) Royal Ruby Text Bible with Zipper, Thumb Index, and Metrical Psalms in Black Calfskin Leather.

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I was looking for a nice compact Bible to carry with me at work.  Most of the Bibles I found were not of good enough quality.  They would not withstand daily use and carry.  I wanted one that had a smyth-sewn binding and was covered in genuine leather.  While scouring the usual online retail sites I kept finding the same low priced compact Bibles.  Don’t get me wrong, for the price a person could afford to replace them when they fall apart, but there are other problems with inexpensive value Bibles.  The paper is usually not Bible paper, the font is not printed sharply and clearly, the Bible is put together in China or Korea where the workmanship isn’t as conscientious, The Bibles are stiff and by the time you brake them in they are falling apart, the bonded leather cracks and swells, the bindings come unglued and pages start falling out, and so on.  If you are like I am you’d rather spend a few extra dollars and get a Bible that will become an old friend, or something you’ll be able to hand down to loved ones when you pass.  Something that you would have used so often that it takes on your scent and the wear and tear you cause remind your loved ones of your love for God’s word.  Maybe it will inspire them to open it up and read it as well.

So with all of that in mind I did a search for, “compact smyth-sewn Bible” and found out about a Bible publisher called, “Trinitarian Bible Society.”  We’ll refer to them as, “TBS” for the rest of the review.  I tried to visit their web page, but to my surprise it was closed for business due to it being Sunday.  This was a pleasant surprise and caused me to become even more curious about them.  I did some research and found this little gem.

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It is the TBS PS31UTZ/BK Royal Ruby Text Bible

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in black genuine calfskin leather

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with a zipper,

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thumb indexes,

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gold gild page edges,

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spine,

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and Holy Bible on the front cover,

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metrical Psalms,

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two ribbon markers,

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presentation page,

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dictionary of King James era words,

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reading plan,

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Bible paper, set by jongbloed and printed in Belarus,

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and in the Authorized King James Version.

I’d like to take a bit of time here to tell you a little about TBS.  They are a ministry based in England.  They use the money they make off of the sales to provide Bibles to those who can not afford them.  They only print the Authorized King James Version, so if you want a different version you might try Cambridge.  I sent them an e-mail and asked for a review copy.  They sent one gratis with no strings attached.

I really like the size of the Bible.

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It’s cover is a bit stiff as it is glued to card paper and then lined with vinyl.  The grain of the leather is pretty defined so that makes it easy to hold on to.

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The zipper is sewn to the semi-yap cover.  It does a good job of protecting the pages.

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The Bible feels like it is going to break in nicely.  It looks like it is put together well.  It fits in my hand easily and it is light weight enough to hold for long stretches of time.  The Bible having a zipper makes this Bible able to survive my B.D.U. pants pockets.  I don’t have to worry about it opening up and having the pages get wrinkled, bent, or mutilated.  The genuine calfskin is pretty tough so it is protected from getting scratched of torn.  The font is a bit on the small side at 6.5 point, but it is a compact Bible.

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If you have descent vision it shouldn’t be a problem.  Mine is about 20/25 and I can read it fine.  I didn’t notice any production errors or defects.  The Bible came packaged in a cardboard box packed in foam packing shells.

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The Bible itself was in a cardboard sleeve, neatly wrapped in clear plastic.

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One might save the cardboard slip case for storage purposes.  Unlike the card paper sleeves that many value Bibles come in this case can provide a service to the owner rather than being thrown away.

I hope this review has been helpful.

ISBN 9781862283527