NKJV Thinline Rebound by McSpadden Bookbindery

Nick Potratz recently purchased an thinline NKJV and sent it to McSpadden Bookbindery for a rebinding. Here, in his own words, are the results: I was browsing the latest selection at my local Christian bookstore a month ago, and I came across this Thomas Nelson NKJV thinline reference. It had a brown imitation leather cover, but what really got my attention was the superior sewn binding. In fact, I was really surprised to discover that most of the low-priced Bibles that I looked at that night had sewn bindings! I think they are finally catching on that they need to offer quality bindings now, even in the low-end products. Maybe this website is partly to blame!

McSpadden Rebind NKJV 6 Above: Nick's rebound NKJV nestled between two R. L. Allan's editions -- the Ruby KJV on top, and an NIV on bottom, both in highland goatskin.

I also really liked the verse-by-verse layout, because I need this format while following along with teachings, as well as sermons at church. So I purchased the NKJV Bible ($24) with the full intention of having it rebound by McSpadden. I had seen the photos of the NASB New Testament that Alan Cornett sent in to Mark, and was impressed with the color of the caramel calfskin that they used.

McSpadden Rebind NKJV 7

I sent the Bible to Gayle and Corry McSpadden the very next day, and then called them three days later to discuss options. Gayle was nice enough to send me 12 samples (nice size pieces too!) of different color calfskins they have so that I could be certain what I was getting! So I finally decided to go with what appeared to be the same caramel color that was used on the NASB NT. It was a hard choice between that and a gorgeous blood red with the same grain, but I decided to save that color for another project!

McSpadden Rebind NKJV 8

I specified raised bands, two gold ribbons, full-yapp covers ("turned edge" they call it), and "Holy Bible - NKJV" stamping on the spine. Gayle was very friendly and patient with me, as I no doubt seemed rather wishy-washy and annoying over the phone. Two weeks later, I received my Bible in the mail, sent USPS Priority.

McSpadden Rebind NKJV 5

I couldn't have been happier with the result. The quality of the work was immediately apparent as soon as I pulled it out of the bubble-wrap that it was covered in. The yapp wasn't as full as I had wanted, but I suppose it is better this way because the contrast of the gold gilding against the rich brown/caramel color of this leather is striking. The grain on this leather is absolutely beautiful. The color of the paper is actually a slight cream color also, which contrasts very nice with the gold stamping/gilding/ribbons and rich brown of the leather.

McSpadden Rebind NKJV 14

McSpadden Rebind NKJV 13

The lining used is a very strong synthetic material, and it is very strongly bonded to the cover - this is not going to peel away at the edges as can be expected from most other Bibles nowadays, including all the Cambridge Bibles that I have purchased lately. This is not the usual cheapo stuff most Bible manufacturers use. I was a little surprised at how stiff the covers are, but I actually like it because it allows me to hold the Bible with one hand and have both pages laid out for ease of reading (as can be seen in one of the photos I've provided). But at the same time, the cover is very flexible in its ability to open and drop down to the ground (again as demonstrated in one of the photos). I suppose you could request a thinner board to be used under the lining, but I didn't specify anything in that area.

McSpadden Rebind NKJV 12
Above: The "hinge."

Corry even went out of his way to reinforce the stitching of the Bible. The spine was a little tight at first, but with some work pressing the signatures apart in the middle, it loosened right up. He also uses a unique "hinge" apparatus as can be seen on the inside of the covers (presented in one of the photos), a little piece of the lining folded over on itself and bonded to the spine and endsheets. This, the McSpaddens explain, allows the Bible to open up without putting any pressure on the textblock, ensuring long-life of the binding and limpness of the cover. Truly excellent craftsmanship.

McSpadden Rebind NKJV 11

McSpadden Rebind NKJV 3

McSpadden Rebind NKJV 1

McSpadden Rebind NKJV 4

McSpadden Rebind NKJV 9

Thank you so much Mark for your website.  May the knowledge and interest in fine Bibles and bindings be spread far and wide!

And thank you, Nick, for sharing the results of your project.

Coda
After I posted Brian Fox's NET Bible rebind photos yesterday, Nick chimed in with a comment about his own Bible that is worth repeating, since it relates to the stiffness of the rebound NKJV:

While I was impressed with the workmanship and appearance of the Bible, be forewarned that you will essentially have your Bible turned into a hardback if you go with McSpadden. That was my beef with the rebind: a thin sheet of beautiful leather glued over super stiff boards and plastic lining. Don't even think about doing yoga with it, either.

I'm sorry to hear this. Hopefully with use some flexibility will be restored -- but of course, thick boards aren't going to thin themselves out. Why is it that so many rebinders focus on the stiff, over-engineered product? I have a two-fold theory. First, most of the info out there about bookbinding concerns the restoration of antiquarian hardcovers, so an aspiring craftsman looking for training related specifically to the classic "limp" Bible might have a hard time finding it. Second, the rebinding market emerged in response to Bibles wearing out, so delivering a drum-tight, indestructible rebind might have been seen as a virtue. Having a new Bible rebound for reasons of quality and aesthetics seems to be a relatively recent phenomenon. In fact, I don't know of a single rebinder who specializes in the limp Bible. Our little community desperately needs one.

J. MARK BERTRAND

J. Mark Bertrand is a novelist and pastor whose writing on Bible design has helped spark a publishing revolution. Mark is the author of Rethinking Worldview: Learning to Think, Live, and Speak in This World (Crossway, 2007), as well as the novels Back on Murder, Pattern of Wounds, and Nothing to Hide—described as a “series worth getting attached to” (Christianity Today) by “a major crime fiction talent” (Weekly Standard) in the vein of Michael Connelly, Ian Rankin, and Henning Mankell.

Mark has a BA in English Literature from Union University, an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Houston, and an M.Div. from Heidelberg Theological Seminary. Through his influential Bible Design Blog, Mark has championed a new generation of readable Bibles. He is a founding member of the steering committee of the Society of Bible Craftsmanship, and chairs the Society’s Award Committee. His work was featured in the November 2021 issue of FaithLife’s Bible Study Magazine.

Mark also serves on the board of Worldview Academy, where he has been a member of the faculty of theology since 2003. Since 2017, he has been an ordained teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America. He and his wife Laurie life in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

http://www.lectio.org
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NET Bible Rebound by McSpadden