UPDATE: This is the original Note Taker’s Bible. It has now been replaced with a new edition that has larger and bolder print. For the review of the new Note Taker’s click here: https://biblebuyingguide.com/lcbp-note-takers-bible-review/

 

I’ve longed been an admirer of wide-margin Bibles. I consider the wide margin Bible to be the best choice as a Study Bible, because it gives the reader the opportunity to interact with the scriptures, creating their own Study Bible. For a Bible with a single column on the inside, a very wide margin (2.5 inches) on the outside of the page, a soft leather cover, in King James, a 11 point font, and a price too good to be true, I recommend the Note Taker’s Bible from Local Church Bible Publishers.

 

The Note Taker’s Bible is available in three styles: the Basic Series, the Designer Series, and the Executive Series. The Executive Series comes in single piece black leather, three piece black, dual-tone with tan spine and black cover, and red. The Bible I am reviewing is the Executive Series single-piece black calfskin leather.

Look and feel

The cover of this Bible looks and feels expensive. It is genuine calfskin leather and is flexible and smooth. It’s easily one of the nicest covers I’ve ever felt on a Bible. This cover is ironed calfskin, which is smooth but still has a leather texture.  It is a sewn binding that lays nice and flat.

Wide margin

There is plenty of room for writing on every page due to the nice layout. It has a single column of text that is on the inside margin. The outside margin, a full 2.5 inches, is clear for writing. This is the only King James Bible I could find with this layout. Now that I have it I’m spoiled.

Size

It is 9.75 x 6.5 x 1.5.

Text

The text is an 11 point font, which is much larger than most wide margin Bibles, and it is very readable. It’s not too light, but slightly bolder would be an improvement. It does not have red-letter, which I prefer in a wide margin Bible due to my color-coding habits. It is only available in King James. I really like that each book starts on a new page- a feature that I believe all wide margin Bibles should have. This gives you the end of most books for notes.


Paper

It is not the thin India paper found in most reference Bibles, but not quite as thick as some of the Cambridges that I’ve seen. The paper is good for writing using Micron pens and good quality pencils. It is made for writing in. Bleed-through is very faint. I’ve seen much worse bleed-though with far more expensive Bibles. Its edges are nicely gilded. I was hoping for writing paper in the back (like Cambridge). The only paper for writing includes five thick pages in the front and six thin and four thick pages in the back. 50+ pages to write on would have been sweet.

Concordance

It comes with a 196 page concordance. It’s a good concordance for topical Bible study. It’s best to have a Strong’s or Cruden’s on hand anyway.

References

This Bible does not include references or footnotes of any kind. We have to add our own (this gives me the opportunity to make my own chain reference). My only concern is that I will be using up some of the margin, but that’s OK.

Maps

There are 8 maps. They seem to be various shades of blue and green- not quite full color, but they do the job.

Ribbons

It has two ribbons, which I think should be standard in all Study Bibles. They’re black and .25 inches wide.

Summary

The Note Taker’s Bible feels like quality. The cover feels smooth, the paper feels thick enough to write on, the stitching is excellent, and the price is ridiculously low for this elegant Bible. At $57.00, it easily compares to Bibles in the $150+ price range. The value of this Bible cannot be matched anywhere. The quality will leave a fine legacy for many generations. The Note Taker’s Bible is definitely the Bible of choice for serious students of God’s Word that does not want their Study Bible filled with someone else’s notes. This is a worker’s Bible. It is excellent for teaching and preaching because there’s plenty of room for notes. If I could change one thing I would add ruled-paper in the back. References and a better concordance would be nice. Buy this Bible and write your own notes- you’ll be glad you did. As for me, I will be using this Bible for a long time. And hopefully, I can fill its pages with a legacy to leave my children.