Pitt Minion & Pocket Cross-Reference Compared

I debated doing this, as it can only cause pain, but since I snapped the photos and there's nothing like appreciating the unobtainable (or at least, the difficult to obtain), here goes. Cambridge is going to make the ESV Pitt Minion available in brown goatskin, so it might interest you to see some shots of a similar binding that was offered, until recently: the KJV in brown goatskin. I'm told these have officially sold out. You might still be able to find one if you hunt around. Above: Cambridge's slender Pitt Minion setting of the KJV bound in brown goatskin.

This one falls just a little bit short of the NKJV Pitt Minion I reviewed back in June: it doesn't open as flat, it doesn't recover quite as quickly from being bent and flexed. But it's beautiful. This shade of brown strikes just the right chord with me, and I'm looking forward to seeing it on the upcoming ESV.

Since I made reference in the earlier Pitt Minion review to the Pocket Cross-Reference format, which is not marketed in North America, I figured I should post some pictures of how the two compare. It's only relevant for those of you reading the NIV, since that's the only format the Pocket Cross-Reference is available in -- and if you do catch the bug, you'll have to source it from Amazon.co.uk or a similar reseller. Pictured is the russet calfskin edition, which is even nicer than the Cabra bonded leather one I reviewed for the site.

Above: The Pitt Minion is taller and thinner, while the Pocket Cross-Reference is shorter and thicker. It all depends on what you prefer. The Pitt Minion is feels more slight, but the Pocket-Cross Reference feels better in the hand.

Above: Both formats are attractively bound. The russet calfskin is quite striking and unique, while the subtler brown goatskin might be easier to live with over time.