NIV Personal Size, Large Print Bible in Buffalo Leather
A closer look at this solid Bible with a buffalo leather upgrade.
Buffalo leather has become a trend recently in the Bible publishing world. I’ve been impressed with Crossway’s options, including the ESV Thinline that I reviewed a few months back, and I’ve been anxious to get ahold of one of Zondervan’s buffalo Bibles.
Well… I made the mistake of opening the box for this one when Becca was nearby, and she quickly snagged it from my hands and started drooling. It’s an eye-catching Bible for sure, and I was able to steal it back from her long enough to record the video below. Give it a watch, and keep scrolling to read more about this Bible.
NIV Personal-Size, Large Print Bible in Buffalo Leather – Overview
The NIV Personal Size, Large Print is a Bible that Zondervan offers in a variety of different bindings, most of which are made with Leathersoft covers and retail for less than $40. There is not a premium edition of this Bible, but this new buffalo leather edition is definitely taking things up a notch.
In terms of specs, the NIV Personal Size, Large Print has a 5.375” x 8.5” trim size trim size, and it is 1.375” thick. Similar to Zondervan’s higher quality Premier Collection Bibles, this edition is edge-lined and Smyth-sewn, and it also features raised spine hubs, perimeter stitching, and an interior gilt line. Inside you’ll find a generous 11.5pt NIV Comfort Print typeface in two columns with textual notes in the bottom right of each column (this edition does not contain cross-references or a concordance). You get a standard set of Zondervan’s full-color Bible maps in the back.
FEATURES
• 11.5pt NIV Comfort Print typeface
• 5.375” x 8.5” trim size
• 1.375” thick
• Edge-lined goatskin
• Smyth-sewn binding
• Raised spine hubs
• Interior gilt line and perimeter stitching
• Two ribbon markers (3/8”)
• Words of Jesus in red
• Full-Color Maps
Middle Tier
This buffalo edition is an interesting option that creates a “middle tier” in Zondervan’s line of Bibles. The retail price is $119.99, which means that you’ll be able to get one for $75 - $100 (purchase links below). As I mentioned above, you get some of the same aesthetic features in this Bible that you would get from the Premier Collection (which retail for around $200), but the biggest difference is going to be the cover material and the paper (the Premier Collection Bibles have goatskin covers and very nice 36 GSM paper). The buffalo leather looks great (just ask Becca!), and I think it will look even better once it wears in. It’s not as soft and floppy as goatskin, but it’s also not as expensive.
Overall, I like that this gives people a different option to consider, and this edition certainly has a striking appearance.
Right For You?
On the inside, the NIV Personal Size, Large Print is a pretty simple and straightforward that gets the job done. It reminds me a lot of a classic thinline Bible, but the large font makes it even more comfortable to read. From the outside, you get a Bible that look sharp and has some very nice aesthetic touches. Add it all together and you’ve got a solid little Bible.
Bottom Line:
An eye-catching, solid option for NIV fans.
