It feels weird splashing water on a Bible, but that’s exactly what I did to the Waterproof Bible from Bardin and Marsee Publishing. It is what is known as a DuraBook – a book printed entirely on plastic/synthetic pages. It’s available in several translations and covers. My review copy is KJV.
Pros
- Waterproof
- Highlight without bleed thru
- Available in many translations
- Floats
Cons
- Looks like a paperback
- Heavy for its size
Features
- KJV
- DuraBook
- Plastic pages
- Text only
- 8-point font
- Black-letter
- Presentation page
- Floats
- Waterproof cover available
- 8.75 x 6 x 1.25
- ISBN: 9781609690182
Cover and Binding
There are several cover designs available including camouflage, blue, pink, and lily pad. The cover on my review copy is lily pad. It looks like a thick paperback cover, but it’s really plastic. I’ll be buying several translations and covers for my personal use. They will be camouflage and blue. I’m also considering one of their waterproof jackets. The pages are glued in sections. The cover is made to bend, so the pages will lay flat after use.
Paper or Plastic
The pages feel like coated paper, but it’s really plastic. The pages are very thick and the opacity is amazing. It has a slight cream tone, making it easy to read. The pages feel durable. I finally got up the courage to splash water on the pages and it wiped off with no problem at all.
The pages are great for marking with pens and dry highlighters. I haven’t tried marking it, so I don’t know which pens or color pencils would work.
The text looks like an 8-point font. I’ve read both 7 and 8 and I really can’t tell. It’s probably somewhere in between. I’m guessing it’s a 7-point font with an 8-point leading. It is black-letter and the font is so sharp and clear that the smaller text is easy to read. Supplied words are in italics. The text is not self-pronouncing, so there are no distractions and the text is nice and clean. The print quality is consistent throughout. There is enough room for underlining and you can write references after most verses.
Layout
The text is presented in verse-by-verse, double-column format. Paragraphs are marked with pilcrows. Chapter names appear centered above the first verse of the chapter and are in bold text.
The header on the left page contains the book name, the chapter number, and the first verse that starts on that page. The header on the right page contains the book name, the chapter number, and the last verse on that page.
I would like to see the KJV have the same layout as the NKJV – double-column with poetry and OT quotes in an offset text, and has sections headings and footnotes. I’ve seen some pictures of the NKJV with red-letter. The ESV, NIV, and NLT editions are in double-column paragraph format.
Since this Bible is so perfect for writing I would almost like to see slightly wider margins, but this would only add to the weight, so I can understand why the margins are small (0.25 on the outside). Another option would be to increase the space between the columns. A wide-margin or journaling edition would be awesome. One thing that helps the writing room is that books start on a new page. Some books take almost all of the last page, but most books give you lots of writing room. There is a page in the back for writing. I would like to see a few more pages even though it would add to the weight. Not everyone wants or needs to write in their Bible’s, so this layout is fine. Since highlighting and underlining is mentioned on the back cover I thought I’d add my thoughts on the matter.
Conclusion
I am extremely impressed with this Bible and it is my new favorite Bible in its price range. I feel more comfortable taking it with me than any Bible I own. This is the kind of Bible you toss around without worrying about it. I like taking a Bible with me everywhere I go, but most Bibles scare me. I’m always afraid of getting them wet, or tearing pages, smearing the text, etc. This Bible is made to take with you wherever you go: camping, fishing, hunting, boating, and traveling – it’s made to go with you anywhere without having to worry about damaging it, making it ideal for missionaries. It is on the heavy side, but it’s not that bad and it’s a trade I would gladly make. I love this Bible and I will be buying it in other translations and cover styles.
This Bible was provided for free for review by Bardin and Marsee Publishing. I was not required to give a positive review- only an honest review. My opinions are my own.
