R.L. Allan NIV Classic Reference Edition
My first review of a Bible from R.L. Allan.
R.L. Allan & Son Publishers began printing Bibles all the way back in 1863. Originally located in Glasgow, this small, family-owned business is now headquartered in London and commonly referred to simply as “Allan.” They are regarded for their high quality bindings that are handcrafted in small batches using only the best materials and construction techniques. Allan is perhaps best known for their printing of Authorized King James Version Bibles based on vintage typesettings from Oxford University Press. The do, however, make limited runs of Bibles in other translations using the same high quality materials and traditional hand-binding methods.
I have somehow neglected to review a Bible from Allan up to this point, despite the fact that I own a handful of lovely Allan editions in various translations, and they are some of my most beloved Bibles. Today I’d like to share with you my NIV Classic Reference Edition (NIV1) in Mid-Brown Goatskin, which has the most beautiful art gilding of any Bible that I have ever owned.
Allan NIV Classic Reference – Overview
This NIV Class Reference Edition is bound for Allan by Ludlow Bookbinders, an award-winning bindery located in the rural county of Shropshire, England. It features a soft and supple mid-brown goatskin cover with a dark brown leather liner and three antique gold ribbon markers. My favorite aesthetic feature BY FAR of this Bible is the stunning red-under-gold art gilding on the pages.
In terms of shape, the NIV1 has a trim size of 5.35” x 8.35”, which is just about perfect for me (probably because I grew up with a Bible that was about this same size). At 1.65” thick, it feels substantial without being bulky.
The text block is a Hodder & Stoughton anglicised edition (I’ll explain more about this below) that features a two-column format with center cross-references on printed on 36 GSM paper. It includes a concordance, maps, and several unique indexes and reading guides. I’m a big fan of Allan’s lined notepaper, and this Bible includes 32 pages of it at the very back.
FEATURES
• Edge-lined natural grain goatskin
• Smyth-sewn binding
• Art gilding (!!!)
• Three ribbon markers
• 36 GSM European Bible paper
• Cross-references
• Concordance
• Full-Colour Maps
• Indexes and Guides
• 32 pages of feint ruled notepaper
• 5.35” x 8.35” trim size
• 1.65” thick
• 9pt type size
The Uniqueness of Allan
Allan’s standard method for printing non-KJV Bibles is to take text blocks from other publishers and add to them Allan’s own presentation pages and lined notepaper (hence this Bible’ Hodder & Stoughton text block). These pieces are Smyth-sewn and hand-bound in natural grain goatskin with leather linings by a handful of small binderies that Allan partners with, mostly in the UK. Allan takes great pride in their binding techniques, and rightfully so, because they are of incredible quality. The nature of this craftsmanship, however, means that no two Bibles are exactly alike. There is a level of uniqueness to each and every one. Here’s a few key insights from Allan’s website.
“Each piece of leather is individually cut and assembled with the corners pleated by hand. This leather-lined style, with its generous semi- or full yapp (covering the page edges for protection), is the most labour-intensive and complex of all binding styles to achieve.
When the printed sections are collated by hand, Smyth-sewn, and the spines rounded individually, this can introduce small variations in the margins on the page as you look through the Bible, or in the rounding of the spine. Yet these elements are key to giving our Bibles the exceptional degree of flexibility which makes them the ideal 'Preacher's Bible', lying flat in the hand straight out of the box.
We have every confidence in our Bibles as the best examples of fine handcraftsmanship available in the world today. However, we know they do not suit everyone – they do not represent a ‘perfection’ of total precision and exactitude in quite the way that we have been led to expect it in other areas of life. Instead, they are a more organic representation of what is possible when the finest natural materials come together with traditional craftsmanship to create a Bible whose outer wrappings are worthy of the Word within. But of course, no binding can ever match the perfection of God’s Word itself.”– Allan Bibles
Traditional and Timeless
As you can see, a Bible from R.L. Allan & Son is both unique and beautiful. In a way, they have a traditional feel that seems to defy modernity, but I would argue that these Bibles are actually quite timeless. This NIV Class Reference Edition would be right at home on my grandmother’s kitchen table, but it also works for me.
More importantly than how it looks, however, is that this Bible is a joy to read. It is a terrific size with a solid page layout, and the aesthetics make me continue to reach for it. At the end of the day, you want a Bible that you will enjoy reading, and that’s what this one does for me.
BUYING THIS BIBLE*
• The Allan NIV Classic Reference Edition is available directly from Allan for £140.00 by visiting Bibles-Direct.com.
• In the U.S., you can often find a selection of Allan Bibles available at EvangelicalBible.com
*Pricing and Availability subject to change.
