About a month ago, I purchased an imperfect navy blue copy of the R L Allan NRSV1 (with Apocrypha). Allan has been offering imperfect copies (which they refer to as “special purchase”) in all four colors from their 2024 printing. All four colors are still available as of this writing.
This is the first time I’ve owned an Allan Bible, and the price for an imperfect copy is good for a premium Bible (£140).
Imperfections
Since this Bible was advertised as imperfect, I will cover the print defects first. I’ve paged through the entire Bible twice, and I’ve found a total of 5 pages with printing defects: 4 pages with ink stains in the Acts of the Apostles and some slight ink smudging on one page in Revelation. The product description from the Allan website says: “Copies discounted for print problems owing to over inking in the printing process; up to 30 pages may be affected but text remains readable in all cases.” That statement is completely accurate for my copy, and I’m happy to have only 5 pages that were affected. Here are some photos of the ink stains:
Feature Overview
The Allan NRSV1 uses the Anglicized Text (UK spelling and usage) of the NRSV. The text block of this Bible measures 5 7/8 inches wide and 8 3/4 inches tall. The navy blue goatskin cover feels notably smooth—almost like it has a waxed surface. This waxy feeling (which I like) is unique among other goatskin bibles I own (like the Schuyler RSV with Apocrypha, the Cambridge NRSV Reference Bible with Apocrypha, or the Zondervan Premier NRSVue with Apocrypha). It’s not a night-and-day difference, and it’s not necessarily better than the other editions, but it’s distinctive.
The goatskin cover is almost a full-yapp. When the edges of the cover are wrapped around the corners of the text block, there is about a 1/4 inch wide gap remaining between the two sides of the cover.
There is no stamping or lettering of any kind on the front of the Bible, and the gold lettering on the spine merely reads “HOLY BIBLE New Revised Standard Version Allan.” There is a gold gilded line around the perimeter of the inside of the cover (visible in the images of imperfections above).
The binding is sewn, and there are three crimson ribbon markers. There are 16 Oxford maps in the back, along with 32 pages of ruled paper for notes.
The page edges are painted with a red and blue speckled pattern (including some slightly reflective paint that catches the light occasionally). This is the only aspect of this Bible that stands out and attracts notice, but the yapp tends to shield the page edges from full view while the bible is lying closed.
Typesetting, Font, and Page Layout
The biblical text is printed in two columns with 8.75 pt. font on 40 GSM paper. Cross references are printed in the center between the two text columns. The paper is quite opaque with very minimal ghosting in most lighting. It doesn’t have the silky feel of the paper in Schuyler’s ESV with Apocrypha, but for practical readability and opacity, it is just as good. When the bible is closed, the book block has a very solid, uncompromising feel. It doesn’t like to bend easily. This is partly because the pages have temporarily warped due to the bone-dry weather we’ve been having recently in the Midwest USA.
The font is clear and generally good for reading, but the 8.75 pt. size is a bit small for my liking. When I place the Allan Bible next to the Cambridge NRSV Reference Bible with Apocrypha, I find the 9 pt. font in the Cambridge noticeably easier to read. The Cambridge also uses a larger font for the cross-references, and they are similarly easier to read.
The Cambridge edition has traded a larger font for much smaller margins. It is also about 1/2 inch shorter in height compared to the Allan (the Cambridge measures just under 8 1/4 inches high). It would be nearly impossible to write any marginal notes in the Cambridge edition, but the Allan has margins wide enough for short notes in small handwriting.
The Allan also uses bold text for all section headings and any verse numbers at the beginning of paragraphs. This makes it very easy to look up a passage, but it’s distracting when reading long passages. By contrast, the Cambridge uses italic text for section headings and large numbers (not in bold) for verse numbers at the beginning of paragraphs. Since I prefer reader’s bibles with minimal distractions, I prefer the Cambridge in this respect.
Conclusion
Overall, I’m happy to own a copy of an Allan Bible at a discount with minimal defects. It is a relatively understated edition (aside from the speckled page edges), and it has a decent page design for practical usage. The font size is smaller than I would like, but as a result, the margins are relatively generous for anyone who likes to make marginal notes. The paper is not silky-smooth, but it has excellent opacity and minimal ghosting.
For anyone who can tolerate the small font, this could be a good choice for a premium Bible that is also a “daily driver.” The combination of a decent yapp (which helps to protect the pages) and painted speckling instead of gold gilding (which can get scratched) makes me feel less nervous about bringing it with me in the car or taking it to church.
Marc,
I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your review and the details you included. I would be very interested if the type were bigger. I guess the market for premium bibles must be much smaller in volume so the size, layout, and print size options can’t be as varied as the more mass market publishing houses. I’m very happy with my NRSV-CE from Catholic Bible Publishing (Nelson) which is a large print edition at 10.5 type size. If the Allan offering were 9.5 point type I’d be ordering right now.
The paper sounds interesting. 40 gsm is nice and heavy for bible paper. You mention it’s not as smooth as some, which I do not think I’d mind at all. Does this less smooth paper tend to stick together less than bibles with smooth paper ? The Ignatius Press bibles I have with not particularly smooth paper make page turning much easier. Since I write with pencil my preferred papers have some tooth.
This brings another thought to mind. I watch many of R Grant Jones’ youtube bible review videos, which are extremely detailed and very helpful. He does consider page numbers unless in a bible, and prefers they be placed near the binding to be out of the way. I’ve been meaning to comment that I look at the page numbers every page !! It’s the fastest way to tell if you’ve turned one, two, or more pages of thin bible paper.