KJV Clarion Reference Bible, Black Edge-lined Goatskin Leather, KJ486:XE Black Goatskin Leather

It started when my snap-cover bonded leather bible started to fall apart around the edges, while at the same time my vision was challenged by the tiny print. And my study bibles were so BIG for carrying around. Ditto a large-print one I inherited after my father died. And the in-between sizes? After using Bibles until the spines sagged horribly, or covers and pages just plain fell apart, I remembered the beautiful and supple goatskin, calfskin and sheepskin bibles at a shop I worked at years ago, but as a student and retail employee, high-end bibles were neither in my budget nor high on my priority list. Still, I remembered how beautiful they felt in my hands, and how they smelled, and how they were meant to last for a lifetime (or more) of regular use without breaking down. Did they still make them? Most bible/book stores I had been in mainly sold bibles in paperback, hardback or bonded leather (not so durable, not flexible, not beautiful). With so many versions to choose from, I always went with less-expensive bindings so I could have different versions and study features. Times have changed....for study, I can get any version I want online. And as I simplify my life, I realize that having just one Bible in paper form was all I really needed. My question was - Is there a Bible with a beautiful binding I could treat myself to? So I went down the rabbit hole to re-acquaint myself with the world of Bibles with fine bindings. Thanks to bloggers with a passion for this topic, I was introduced to so many options and factors to consider....and I was introduced to the Cambridge Clarion, which fulfilled my wish list: Buttery soft goatskin cover from an old and reputable bookbinding company The whole bible flexes, and lays flat when open Matte leather with a subtle, beautiful texture, neither shiny nor heavy Neutral Color Unfussy: NO printing on front or back, NO fussy filigree imprinting around the inside edges of the cover Single column "Readers' Style" pages and little in the way of "helps" to keep the size manageable Small enough and light enough to fit easily into my hand Big enough to read easily Available in KJV: for long-term investment/use, the version I prefer for the beauty of the language and the integrity of the Textus Receptus, from which it was translated The Cambridge Clarion was the winner, but cost $245 retail, and the retail shop didn't have the version I wanted on their list. Ouch. I could go through any number of paperback bibles in my lifetime for that price, right? But it was near the holidays and I decided to treat myself to a used one at Amazon for $122. It came in a spanking new box, showed almost no sign of being used, the cover is handsome and has that awesome leather smell, on top of all its other features. And it looks really pretty with the white leather Snugg cover on my iPad (another Amazon bargain!), where I can access other bible versions and all sorts of study helps. The outside of the Bible is truly the least important part of it. But I am really, really enjoying it. Very nice purchase. If you know someone who loves God's word and loves to study and wants a beautiful and long-lasting hard copy in a version that they really enjoy using, it would be an awesome gift to invite them into the world of fine Bible binding and (once they find the one that meets their own wishes and understand the value of the binding) to gift them with the Bible of their choice. I imagine that a lot of the used ones on Amazon were gifts that were not quite to the receivers' taste...and a Bible is a very personal thing.

I had purchased a KJV Cameo with Apocrypha and I liked it but the print quality from page to page was pretty bad and I didn't like the words of Christ in red letter. Albeit it is the best red letter I've seen in a Bible, but it was still very distracting and hard on my eyes. So, I reluctantly returned it and purchased this instead. I'm very glad I did. The goatskin and edged-lined as well as the higher quality paper is something I immediately noticed between the two. In addition, the text of the Clarion is crystal clear on every single page and is extremely easy to read. This Bible will last you a lifetime and I love the single column and having all the text in black instead of red for Christ's words. It makes it a pleasure to read. I don't find that the text goes into the gutter at all to a point that you can't read it. It is perfect. If you're having any doubts, I can assure you, you will not regret your purchase.

Finally, a Bible bound in beautiful black goatskin with script in paragraph groupings. The goatskin is supple, soft, with somewhat finely textured grain, easily held in the hand, and, yet, the font is printed dark and large enough for even those with diopter 4.0 eyesight. This Bible is a joy to behold, a pleasure to hold, and even more enjoyable to read God's Word in paragraph groupings. If you're in doubt, just go for it, and you'll understand what I mean.

What I like: What sets this Bible apart is its single-column paragraph format. If you're looking for a Bible simply for reading, this is it. Although the pages are somewhat transparent, this is offset by the fact that the text on either side lines up perfectly; so there is minimal ghosting. The font is just the right size to fit enough text on the page and still be legible. It's set at 8.75, but appears larger due to the single column design. The cover is a soft, supple goatskin that is very flexible and durable at the same time. The inner lining is polyurethane, which makes the cover much more flexible than your average cardboard wrapped cover (i.e. Pitt Minion), but it's still not as nice as the Allan goatskin covers with leather inner linings. What I don't like: The trade-off, of course, for having a single-column paragraph design with relatively large text is twofold. First, the pages are very thin, thinner than most of Cambridge's other bibles (even thinner than the Pitt Minion I'd say). However, as I said, the text is printed so that the text on the front of the page lines up with the text on the back, which causes minimal ghosting. Still, don't expect to be making notes on these pages, as the ink will easily show through on the other side. Second, the Bible is relatively thick. Certainly there are thicker Bibles, but I think the fact that it's palm-sized makes it seem thicker. It's actually almost identical in height and width to the Pitt Minion, but it's almost twice as thick, making it somewhat bulky. Additionally, the copy I received from Amazon had some type of crease about 1/8 of an inch from the top of every page throughout the entire Bible. It was almost as if the text block was improperly cut before it was bound. Conclusion: I ended up sending the Bible back because of the crease on the pages and because I didn't like the compactness coupled with the thickness. I prefer either a small, thin Bible or a large, thick one. I don't like to mix and match, but that's just a personal preference. All in all, it's a great Bible for the money and sure to last a lifetime. If you want a single-column paragraph text layout, and you're OK with thinner paper and a thicker Bible, this one is for you.

What a wonderfully sized bible, this will definitely be my travel bible on my business trips. The smell of the new leather is just amazing, the way the soft goatskin feels is your hand gives you just the greatest pleasure, it's just the right weight & the text in the ESV is easy enough to read, although the paper is thin (only way Cambridge could keep it the size it is), Cambrige has mitigated the see-through on the page by using line matching to perfection . I have several high end bibles & am a firm believer that the word of Our Lord needs to be wrapped in something special, that will last me a lifetime to pass on to my children & Cambrige has certainly done that in the Clarion ESV, I simple ENJOY this bible! Now I'm waiting for my Clarion KJV to arrive, also in the black goatskin, looking forward to having the KJV in a single column, paragraph format. Very exciting!!!

Very well done! Excellent quality. Have had a couple other paragraph formats and the sizing of page and print in this one is superb. The print is a little small for me but I won't take a star off for that. I just use better lighting. The paper is darker cream than the NKJV Clarion which is a lighter cream and easier for me to read

It’s such a pleasure to hold in your hand or lay on a hard surface to read. The craftsmanship is beautiful. Arrived very fast. Thank you.

Nice Bible, the paper is amazing and the goatskin is probably the best I have ever felt!

bought as a gift for christmas but ive spent more time reading it so far than my partner, the words flow really well in this format im very impressed, its an object of beauty and a pleasure to hold and read from