Customer Reviews

NASB Update In Touch Ministries Wide Margin Edition; Top Grain Cowhide; Burgundy

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For some time I have been looking for a special bible which would become my main one for study & preaching. It needed to be technically accurate, of the highest quality manufacture, with good legible print, margins for my jottings, a concordance for my searchings, and an aesthetic quality which meant it would be a joy just to handle, as I intend to be handling it daily for many years to come. Overall this bible measures up. The translation is among the most reliable in the English language, the leather binding is sumptuous and wonderful to handle, the printing immaculate & type clear, the paper is perfect for note taking, the margins large enough without overwhelming the text, and the price half what one would expect to pay in England. The lifetime guarantee gives confidence in quality manufacture.

However, I have a couple of niggles which others have drawn attention to: 1)some basic translators footnotes would have been useful ie: alternative textual readings & references of OT citations in the NT (as in basic NIV footnotes); 2)the pages are occasionally creased, and perhaps the inside edge margins could have been slightly wider; 3) the leather covers are unequal in width, and the yap (protective edging over lap) on one side barely covers the paper; 4)the printing on the binding "The Holy Bible, NASB Update" etc is off centre. These last two comments do demonstrate, however, that this is not some conveyer belted, machine manufactured item, but a truly "hand-made" bible.

It is the content and not the container which is all important. God's word is infallible, bible manufacturers are not. Despite these minor imperfections, it remains among the most beautifully bound bibles available, and one which will give me delight, outside & in, for many years.

This is a wonderful Bible. I have been looking for a Bible that would offer me a great deal of helps and supplies, and I now have found one. I love the wide margins because it allows me to write notes if there is a need. The Bible has wonderful maps in the back that shoud be looked at. The Concordance is absolutely great and I love that the Bible has a protective case that it can be placed in. The only thing about this particular Bible that I did not like, was that the words of Christ were not in red ink. Most Bibles do put the words of Christ in red, so it takes a while to get accustomed to. Overall the Bible gets and A !

This is a review of the NASB In Touch Wide Margin bible in Burgundy Calfskin, ISBN 1581350708.

PROS
The calfskin is absolutely gorgeous. I've handled the black and the blue calfskin editions of this bible but they do not compare to the feel and grain of the burgundy edition. Compared to the Crossway, Nelson, and Cambridge leather I also prefer this one in particular and it is worth owning nearly for this reason alone. The ribbon markers are of exceptional quality, wide, and long enough to use easily. The paper quality is very nice, and the binding is sewn so that the bible lays absolutely flat from the first use. Everything about the materials here is very high quality and among the finest that you can find. The translation is the Updated (1995) NASB which is very literal and excellent for study. Additionally, this is not a red letter edition which is a huge plus in my book. The concordance and maps are nice enough, and the layout of the pages is very pleasing and facilitates easy reading of the text. As others have mentioned, the only appearance in this bible of In Touch Ministries or Charles Stanley is in an elegant single-page dedication at the beginning of the bible.

CONS
Some of the pages are slightly wrinkled near the inside seam. For an expensive bible this is something that shouldn't be there, however it doesn't affect the ability to read the text or write down notes in the margins. Speaking of margins... The outside, upper, and lower margins are very generous and easy to mark in. However, the inside margin is not very wide and I find that I can only easily write in cross references and one or two words. I've started using the lower margin for notes on the inside column, and the outside margin for the outside column because of this. Also, there are no cross references in this bible. I would prefer to have them for convenience however I am hopeful that I will gain more by researching and writing them down for myself.

Summary
This is hands down the nicest bible I own and it is very pleasing to handle and use. I love the quality construction and hope that it will last for decades so that I can have a lasting bible to write down my notes as I study the word of God. If you are looking for a wide margin bible for note taking or a well crafted calfskin bible you can't go wrong with this bible.