R.L. Allan 53 Longprimer

Jul 29

A closer look at R.L. Allan’s flagship edition of the KJV Oxford Longprimer.

I’ve now done full reviews of four different Longprimers – 53C, 52, 62, and 43 – yet somehow I’ve neglected to review the standard 53, which is the greatest Longprimer of them all.

Until now.

In my defense, I did not have a 53 until recently. But when I unboxed the one I have now, it quickly became my favorite Longprimer. Something about this particular Bible is special. It’s so special, in fact, that the guy who sold it to me asked for it back almost as soon I received it. I can’t blame him, and when I’m done with this series on the Longprimer, I plan to honor his request.

Speaking of the series, you can find new videos about the Longprimer every week until I’ve covered them all, and I have a few fun extras planned as well!

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KJV 53 Longprimer – Overview

Originally located in Glasgow, R.L. Allan & Son Publishers began printing Bibles in 1863. This small, family-owned business is now located in London, and they are known around the world for their high quality bindings that are handcrafted in small batches using premium materials and traditional construction techniques. Allan is perhaps best known for their printing of Authorized King James Bibles based on vintage typesettings from Oxford University Press, and the 53 Longprimer is their flagship edition.

The KJV Longprimer was developed by Oxford University Press in the 1950s, and is now printed exclusively by Allan. The “53” is the standard Longprimer edition that features a 6” x 8.875” trim size on 36 GSM paper and is bound in highland goatskin (Allan also has the thinner “43” which is printed on 28 GSM paper, and the larger “63,” which has larger margins and is printed on slightly thicker paper). The Longprimer gets its name from the bold and crisp 10pt typeface that continues to be one of the most readable in the world.

FEATURES
• 10pt typeface
• 6” x 8.875” trim size
• 1.75” thick
• 36 GSM India paper
• Leather-lined with full yapp
• Smyth-sewn binding
• Art gilded page edges and double interior gilt lines
• Three ribbon markers
• Large, crisp black letter type
• 100,000 centre column chain references with dates above
• 16 pages of full-colour Oxford Bible maps
• Concordance, subject index and dictionary of proper names
• 32 pages of lined writing paper
• Presentation Page & Family Records

Flagship

It’s hard to argue with anyone who says that the original 53 is best Longprimer of them all. I certainly love the thinner 43 and the more robust 63 (as well as the calfskin-bound 52 and 62), but the 53 really feels “just right.” When someone asks me for advice about getting their very first Longprimer, I quickly tell them to go with a 53. It’s Allan’s flagship Bible for a reason.

And what if you’re not a KJV person?

You know… there are a lot of cool Allan Bibles out there, and I’m sure some people would tell you that the NASB Reader (NASB R1) or ESV Reader (ESV NC1) are the best Bibles Allan makes. As someone who owns both of those Bibles, I think there’s certainly a case to be made for their being seen as the best of Allan’s offerings, but the 53 Longprimer still rises to the top for me. This is the Bible that Allan does best, and I think everyone should have a copy in their Bible library.

Right For You?

Yes.
The answer is YES.

This Bible is right for everyone.
Even if you’re not a power user of the KJV, you need a great copy of it, and the 53 Longprimer is the best of the best.