The Schuyler KJV Reference Bible is their edition of one of my favorite KJV’s ever published – the TBS Westminster. Schuyler has produced the Westminster with all the bells and whistles you would expect in a premium edition – goatskin leather, edge-lined, stitched, art-gilt edges, and 4 thick ribbons. This Bible is a winner in every category.
Pros
- Soft leather cover
- Leather lined
- 4 ribbons
- Printed and bound by Jongbleod
Cons
- Leather tends to be noisy when moving
- Paper has more show-through than I like
Features
- KJV
- Goatskin leather (available in 4 colors)
- Edge-lined
- Perimeter stitched
- Leather lined
- 4 ribbons
- Art gilt edges
- 9.6 digital font
- Black letter
- 32 gsm paper
- Verse-by-verse format
- 200,000 cross references
- Translation notes
- Archaic words defined in the margin
- Translators to the Reader
- Epistle Dedicatory
- Pronunciation guide
- 139 page concordance
- 8 Maps
- 2 year reading plan
- 32 pages for notes
- 1728 pages
- Printed and bound by Jongbloed
- 9 x 6.8 x 1.5
Where to buy: EvangelicalBible.com – Schuyler KJV Reference Bible
Cover and Binding
The edition I’m reviewing is the Mahogany Antique Cantara and it’s easily one of the prettiest covers I’ve ever seen on a Bible. I love the textured grain. It is very soft and the grain is pronounced. The cover bends over your hand while holding it. It can be a little difficult to hold open with just one hand, but that’s normal for limp covers. My only complaint with the cover is that it tends to make the leather cracking sounds when moving. I actually like that sound myself, but when I’m in a quiet room it tends to be noticed by everyone. I think that sound will go away with use.
The inside liner is leather. It is edge-lined and perimeter-stitched for the highest quality binding possible. The liner is black, which doesn’t look as nice as it could have if it matched the cover. I would also like to see a decorative trim, like a gold line, around stitching of the liner. This would give it some finishing touches like the Longprimer. But that’s just me being picky.
The binding is sewn, so it has no trouble lying flat. There is an overcast line of stitching in the front and the back.
Paper and Print
The paper is 32 gsm and has a slight cream tone. I love the cream tone. It makes reading much more enjoyable. There is more show-through than I would like, but it’s only really noticeable in bright lighting.
The text is presented in verse-by-verse format. I find paragraph format to be better for reading, but verse-format is easier for me when using it in Church or study because I can find the verses much faster. This can be solved by printing the verse numbers bolder. Paragraph format with bolder verse numbers would have been nice, but that’s a matter of the layout from TBS and their target audience. For quick reference and easy use, verse format is fine.
The text is printed with a technique known as line-matching. This makes it very readable. The text is printed in two-column format with references on the outer and inner margins.
There are 32 blank pages in the back for notes. I am glad that more publishers are doing this. I wish this were standard in Bible publishing.
It has a modern digital 9.6 font in black letter and it is one of the best fonts for reading that I’ve seen in a KJV. It has about a medium boldness. The print quality is consistent throughout.
Rather than section headings, the Schuyler KJV Reference Bible has chapter summaries. They are printed much larger than other chapter summaries that I’ve seen (for example, the Thompson Chain Reference, the Dugan/Jubilee Analytical Topical Study Bible, and the Brevier Clarendon). The chapter summaries span the column of text and the references, so they take two columns. This makes them much more readable and usable. Like all chapter summaries in KJV’s you have to be careful with the contents (some place the Church in the OT, etc.).
The top of the page contains summaries of the main point of that page. It also contains the books and chapters that appear on that page. One thing I like about this is that it contains the first chapter that appears and not the first chapter that starts on that page. For example, page 720 contains Psalms 38-40. This contains the end of chapter 38 and the first full chapter that starts on that page is chapter 39. Most Bibles would not include chapter 38 at the top of the page. They would only include the chapter that starts on the page, so they would show 39-40. I prefer the method this Bible uses because it makes this Bible easier to use. Verse numbers would be even better, but that could get messy.
References and Notes
The margins contain lots of references and notes, which include alternate translations from Greek and Hebrew, definitions of archaic words or words that have changed meanings, money, etc. There are 200,000 cross-references. They are a combination of John Brown’s Self Interpreting Bible and the Concord. References are keyed to the text with letters. Notes are keyed with numbers. Definitions are keyed with asterisks. Money, weights, and measures are keyed with superscript markers.
The references and notes make the Schuyler KJV Reference Bible a great study Bible by giving you tools to define words and compare Scripture with Scripture.
Appendixes
The appendixes include:
Tables of Weights and Measures – 5.5 pages of the most comprehensive tables I’ve seen in a Bible.
A List of Words and Proper Names with Their Pronunciation – 14.5 pages and contains almost every name in the Bible.
2 year reading plan – has a morning and evening reading from two different sections of the Bible.
Concordance – This is the same concordance found in the Concord. It is 139 pages and is one of the better concordances available in a Bible. The verses do not appear on a new line. This makes it a little difficult to use but it has more entries for less space, so it’s a good tradeoff.
Maps
There are 8 pages of very colorful maps. They are printed on thick paper with a dull finish. This is my favorite paper for maps. I prefer paper without a glossy shine. My only complaint is there is no index to maps. Indexes make maps much more usable and I think premium Bible should especially have them. I would have liked an index to maps.
Ribbons
There are four luxurious ribbons in four colors: green, purple, brown, and gold. The ribbons will be different colors than this for the other covers. They are 3/8 wide and plenty long enough to be useable. They’re some of the nicest ribbons I’ve seen in any Bible.
Additional Features
Other features include:
Epistle to James
Translators to the Reader – This is my favorite edition of this document. It has notes in the margin. I’m glad to see this document is included. It is very informative of the translators’ thoughts on Bible translation and I highly recommend reading it.
Various Helpful Characteristics of the Authorized Version – This section includes information on the use of italics, Lord vs LORD, capitalizations, use of OT names in the NT, Thou and Ye (very informative).
Guide to Using the Westminster Bible – Covers the features of this Bible and how to use them.
List of Books and Their Abbreviations – Lists all the books in Biblical order.
Conclusion
The Schuyler KJV Reference Bible is easily one of the best KJV’s I’ve ever seen. It is beautiful in every way. It is a great Bible for carry, reading, and study. The Cover and binding are of the highest quality available. The grain of the leather is simply gorgeous. It’s the perfect size – large enough to contain great tools and features, but not too large to carry and hold. I highly recommend the Schuyler KJV Reference Bible to anyone seeking a premium KJV. This one is at the top of my list.
Where to buy: EvangelicalBible.com – Schuyler KJV Reference Bible
Schuyler Publishing provided this Bible free for review. I was not required to give a positive review – only an honest review.