Yes! :) It is a shame that this is not in genuine leather. I was able to get this for less than the retail price, but there is absolutely no reason for a bonded leather bible to be close to $100. The NOAB4 from Oxford is basically the same price but comes in a very soft genuine leather.
Do you suppose it's against some arcane 1920s international publishing treaty for Catholic bibles to be bound in real calfskin or goatskin? Must be. The real reason, I suspect, is that the USCCB charges such a high royalty fee that a nicely finished NABRE would be $350 at retail.
On Oxfords web site the leather edition is only $38 during the leap day sale. You don't need to put in the promo code, it takes the 60% off automaticly when you put it in your shopping cart. That's pretty reasonable.
Some older Jerusalem Bibles came so finely bound. However, the price I see them going for makes buying a beat up thin paper edition and sending it to Leonard's a more economical prospect.
Krystle L...Have you already tried using highlighters made specifically for Bibles? They are sometimes called dry highlighters or gel Bible highlighters. They work pretty well and will not bleed through most any bible paper. If you've already tried these I don't' know what else to recommend.
This is a link to one that a lot of people like: http://www.christianbook.com/gel-bible-highlighter-yellow/pd/8765913?event=ESRCG#customer_reviews
I've been using it for a couple of days, and on every level the quality of the workmanship in this edition is lacking. The fonts are less pleasing to read, there is bleed rough, the "leather" cover is chape and flimsy, the font for the footnotes is too small. The footnote font size is a particular issue in a Bible that is marketed as a Study Bible powerhouse. The whole point of this Bible is to have access to the scholarship underpinning the NABRE -- both the big-picture thematic scholarship found in the Reading Guides and the focused scholarship that undergirds the translation in specific places (thanks to the footnotes).
I received this in the mail today and compared it to the Second Edition (the NAB, not NABRE edition) which I have in genuine leather. For what it's worth, here's my thoughts regarding the physical properties of this edition:
No question, the bonded leather cover is noticeably inferior and is disappointing.
The gilded page edges are about the same, but the Second Edition in genuine leather has a slight advantage.
The paper on this edition is a little more white than the Second Edition, but the bleed through is about the same.
The font size and clarity is, to my eyes, the same.
The paper on this edition feels a little cheaper. I notice that the Second Edition states it is acid free paper, but this edition does not make this claim.
While this edition has a sewn binding, it is inferior compared to the sewn binding on the Second Edition in genuine leather.
I was fortunate to buy this on the leap day 60% off sale, so I paid only $38 for it. With that said, I'd say it's worth it for $38, but the regular $95 price is outrageous considering the overall quality of it, or lack thereof. Oxford really should be embarrassed that (1) they printed this with such a low production quality, and (2) are charging such a high price for it.
Not as interested in any NABre as I once was but it's hard to pass-up looking in on a new study. Can't find a leather to purchase - that sold fast - but given the reviews here an elsewhere I think I'll just wait for a hardbound to show up on the resale market and satisfy my curiosity reading new notes and articles that way :)
21 comments:
Yes! :) It is a shame that this is not in genuine leather. I was able to get this for less than the retail price, but there is absolutely no reason for a bonded leather bible to be close to $100. The NOAB4 from Oxford is basically the same price but comes in a very soft genuine leather.
Looks like glued rather than a sewn binding - is that correct?
(I don't understand the market for leather bibles with glued bindings - it makes no sense from a design standpoint.)
No, it is definitely sewn. (Sorry, perhaps the picture doesn't do it justice.)
Are the Oxford and Cambridge stusy bibles significantly different in content (especially theology), or perhaps intended for the same kind of audience?
SHALOM
Are you meaning the NRSV study bibles that they each produce? Cambridge does not produce an NABRE study bible.
How would you compare the quality of the Oxford bonded leather to the USCCB NABRE bonded leather?
Good question. Actually, I like the USCCB one better. Has a softer feel to it.
Do you suppose it's against some arcane 1920s international publishing treaty for Catholic bibles to be bound in real calfskin or goatskin? Must be. The real reason, I suspect, is that the USCCB charges such a high royalty fee that a nicely finished NABRE would be $350 at retail.
Love it. Love it. Love.
My Bible until '25.
On Oxfords web site the leather edition is only $38 during the leap day sale. You don't need to put in the promo code, it takes the 60% off automaticly when you put it in your shopping cart. That's pretty reasonable.
i put it in my cart and its $94
Some older Jerusalem Bibles came so finely bound. However, the price I see them going for makes buying a beat up thin paper edition and sending it to Leonard's a more economical prospect.
Mine arrived two days ago.
which bible would you recommend would be good to highlight in - where the highlighter won't seep through the pages?
Pete,
My understanding is the USCCB charges the same royalty as the NRSV.
Krystle L...Have you already tried using highlighters made specifically for Bibles? They are sometimes called dry highlighters or gel Bible highlighters. They work pretty well and will not bleed through most any bible paper. If you've already tried these I don't' know what else to recommend.
This is a link to one that a lot of people like: http://www.christianbook.com/gel-bible-highlighter-yellow/pd/8765913?event=ESRCG#customer_reviews
Drives me crazy they don't publish it with genuine leather. The price is unreasonably high for bonded leather.
Seems like there's more bleed-thru this time, compared to the second edition.
I've been using it for a couple of days, and on every level the quality of the workmanship in this edition is lacking. The fonts are less pleasing to read, there is bleed rough, the "leather" cover is chape and flimsy, the font for the footnotes is too small. The footnote font size is a particular issue in a Bible that is marketed as a Study Bible powerhouse. The whole point of this Bible is to have access to the scholarship underpinning the NABRE -- both the big-picture thematic scholarship found in the Reading Guides and the focused scholarship that undergirds the translation in specific places (thanks to the footnotes).
I received this in the mail today and compared it to the Second Edition (the NAB, not NABRE edition) which I have in genuine leather. For what it's worth, here's my thoughts regarding the physical properties of this edition:
No question, the bonded leather cover is noticeably inferior and is disappointing.
The gilded page edges are about the same, but the Second Edition in genuine leather has a slight advantage.
The paper on this edition is a little more white than the Second Edition, but the bleed through is about the same.
The font size and clarity is, to my eyes, the same.
The paper on this edition feels a little cheaper. I notice that the Second Edition states it is acid free paper, but this edition does not make this claim.
While this edition has a sewn binding, it is inferior compared to the sewn binding on the Second Edition in genuine leather.
I was fortunate to buy this on the leap day 60% off sale, so I paid only $38 for it. With that said, I'd say it's worth it for $38, but the regular $95 price is outrageous considering the overall quality of it, or lack thereof. Oxford really should be embarrassed that (1) they printed this with such a low production quality, and (2) are charging such a high price for it.
Michael P.
Not as interested in any NABre as I once was but it's hard to pass-up looking in on a new study. Can't find a leather to purchase - that sold fast - but given the reviews here an elsewhere I think I'll just wait for a hardbound to show up on the resale market and satisfy my curiosity reading new notes and articles that way :)
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