Formerly known as Paul’s Leather Co, Scriptura sent me two rebound Bibles to review. They’ve engraved Scripture Type designs to both Bibles. They asked me to choose between a large list of options. It was difficult to choose, but I chose Living & Active and Be Joyful. They sent them in different shades of leather. In this review, I’ll look at both covers and their designs. They came in sturdy two-piece branded boxes that look elegant. They also come with a catalog that details their Bibles and services.
Video Review
About Scriptura
Scriptura is a small organization based in Greenville, SC that rebinds Bibles with custom leather covers and restores old Bibles. They also sell rebound Bibles in several sizes and translations. One of the things that sets them apart from other Bible rebinders is they’ll add a Scripture Type design or add a custom design to the front cover of the Bible. They can also restore your Bible.
Here are a few points to consider:
- They have 8 colors to choose from.
- The engrave custom designs such as church logos, handwritten notes, etc., onto the cover.
- Ribbons are added to Bibles sent in for their Bible restoration service. Buyers can choose the color and number.
- New Bibles come with the ribbons from the publisher.
- They add head/tail bands to Bibles sent in for their Bible restoration service.
- Liners on new Bibles are from the publisher.
- New black liners are added to Bibles sent in for their restoration service.
- They give a portion of all proceeds to missionaries translating the Bible.
- They can engrave any design sent to us onto the cover of a Bible.
- They have an exclusive partnership with Scripture Type to engrave their designs on our Bible covers.
- They have a new blog where they help people treasure their Bibles more!
- They offer ForeverCare for anyone interested in putting a lifetime warranty on their Bible.
- If you’re not sure of the color you want, they’ll send you free leather samples to help you choose.
About the Leather
The cover is a single piece of thick full-grain leather that doesn’t fold over the edge. It’s untreated, so it doesn’t have extra water resistance. The grain is deep and looks like cowhide. The edges have a slightly rough cut, which adds to the uniqueness of the cover. The front includes the design. In my case, it’s the designs I chose from Scripture Type. The leather is named after specific dates that are important in Bible publishing. There are 8 different shades of brown to choose from. The liners are black paste-down vinyl. The leather is stiff, so it will take some use for they’ll stay open within the first 100 pages of a hand-sized thinline Bible like those I’m reviewing, which as ESV thinlines from Crossway.
Living & Active in Dark Brown – c1450
In 1450, Johannes Gutenberg printed the Gutenberg Bible, starting the era of Bible publishing. The dark brown has enough color variation to make areas of the cover stand out. Living & Active is from Hebrew 4:12 from the NASB. The verse is printed with a sword in the center to create a cross. The first phrase is engraved above the sword. The rest of the phrases are engraved in a stack. A large portion of the verse is engraved along the left, and the rest is engraved along the right. The text on both sides is elevated in the center. The reference is engraved below the sword. It isn’t engraved with color, so the contrast is low. It can be difficult to see at certain angles, but other angles make it stand out.
Be Joyful in Brown – c1535
n 1535, William Tyndale printed the first complete Bible in English, opening the Word of God to the common person of the day. Leather color c1535 is a medium shade of brown. Be Joyful is from Romans 12:12 from the NIV. It’s engraved in black. The shape follows a fancy ribbon design that waves back and forth from the top to the bottom. Parts of the text are extra large and filled in. These include a 3D effect. The rest of the text is smaller and is line-drawn. Flourishes are placed throughout the text.
Where to Purchase
You can purchase your handcrafted Scriptura Bible or send your Bible for repair by visiting their website: scriptura.co.
Conclusion
Scriptura’s leather and engraving are excellent. I love the texture and thickness of the leather. The use of a single piece of leather that doesn’t fold over the edges looks rugged and unique. They’re not water resistant, but you can add that yourself. I’d love to see them with matching ribbons. Of course, that would add to the cost. I think it would be worth the extra, though. If you’re interested in a rebound Bible with elegant designs on the cover, I highly recommend giving Scriptura a look.
Scriptura provided these Bibles for an honest review. I was not asked to provide a positive review.