Three Sixteen Publishing/Steadfast Bibles haven’t been around that long, but they have really put out a lot of editions in a short amount of time. The latest is the LSB Giant Print Reference and if you’ve been looking for a premium bound edition with larger print, then this might be the edition for you.
To give a basic description of this edition, it’s very similar to the Schuyler Quentel. The Schuyler Quentel is one of my favorite editions, the two that I have are older editions with 36gsm paper, which makes them about the same size and weight as the LSB Giant Print. The Schuyler Quentel has an 11pt font and was one of the first true “premium bound” Large Print Reference editions. If the adage is true that “Imitation is the highest form of flattery”, then Schuyler Bibles must have a difficult time keeping their humility in check since they’ve been imitated so often. Regarding the print size, I would describe the LSB Giant Print as the Quentel on anabolic steroids. The font in the LSB Giant Print is listed as being 13pt in size which probably makes it the only Giant Print “Premium” edition currently available for purchase. Another thing that sets the LSB Giant Print apart is the larger references, which makes the references more useable for those of us that struggle with using Reference editions.
The layout is a two-column paragraph format, however, the verse numbers are printed in dark bold black that really jumps off of the page. If you’re using this behind the pulpit, I don’t think you’ll have any problems losing your place. It’s a two-color print edition with the main text printed in black and the book titles and chapter numbers printed in brick red. The text is black letter only, in other words, the words of Christ are not printed in red. The page numbers and book and chapter ranges are located at the top of the page and are also printed in dark red. The subject titles throughout the chapters are italicized in bolder black. In between the two columns is an unobtrusive vertical thin red line delineating between the columns and there’s another line that runs horizontally across the bottom separating the columns of text from the references. (In regard to these lines, think of an upside-down letter “T”.)
The references and notes are printed in black with chapters and verses for the references set in a larger and darker font. As mentioned above, the chapter numbers are printed in red, and down in the references there’s also a red diamond indicating the first reference in that chapter. The main text is set in a 13pt font that is very readable with the references in the 10pt font range. The superscript letters throughout the text and the references are smaller and appear to be in the 7-8pt range. The margin spacing is as follows, 7/16” for the outer, inner, and bottom of the page, and 11/16” at the top. In the New Testament, the Old Testament quotes are printed in small capital letters, and the personal pronouns for God are capitalized. Italicized words indicate words not found in the original language texts. The poetry sections are set in verse by verse. There are 95,000 cross references.
The paper and print work well together, the print is dark and consistent throughout the edition being reviewed and the paper is 32gsm, not too thin, not too thick, not too white, and more like eggshell. As a result of the opacity of the paper and the line matching of the text, the show-through or ghosting of the print from the opposite side of the page is a non-issue.
The dimensions of the text block are 9.25” x 6.25” x 1.50.”
The outer dimensions are 10.25” x 7.25” x 1.75”.
It weighs in at 3.24 lbs.
The page count of this edition is 1968 pages.
The paper weight is 32gsm and measures .73 inches thick @ 1000 pages.
The construction of this bible is very well done, it is an edged lined binding and is bound in goatskin. The color listed is burgundy, but it’s a lighter shade of burgundy or a dark red. The leather has a finer grain and is more pebble-like. The lining inside the cover is leather, and the binding is stitched around the perimeter. Overall, the binding is extremely soft and flexible, and for the most part, this edition lies rather flat right out of the box and should only improve with continued use. The inner liner color is dark burgundy, much darker than the outer binding.
Inside at the front and back of the Bible you have 3-4 heavy card stock end pages. The text block has overcast stitching in the front and at the back of the Bible. The only issue I’ve noticed, the edition reviewed is noisy when flipping through to other pages. It does exhibit some crinkling down the gutter, which is the source of the noise. I’m unsure if this is symptomatic of only the reviewed edition or all the edge-lined bound editions. Also, if you prefer a less floppy Bible, then you might consider the paste-down cowhide, imitation leather, or hardcover editions offered, however, I like the flexibility of this edition. The yapp on the goatskin cover hangs over about 3/4” making it a 1/2 or 3/4 yapp edition, and only at the corners of the binding will the yapp touch.
Aesthetics: Down the spine, there are 5 raised spine hubs, and the gold stamping that is strategically placed between the hubs consists of “Holy Bible” near the top, the LSB Logo and “Legacy Standard Bible” in the center, with “Steadfast Bibles” at the bottom. The goatskin edition has red art gilt page edges that appear to be a nice dark shade of pink. It has three quality ribbon markers 10mm in width, one burgundy, one black, and one light gold. The ribbons extend about 3 inches in length past the bottom of the page. This edition has factory index tabs and there are three books listed per tab, plus a tab for concordance and maps. Inside the cover, there’s a nice gold foil vine-like pattern applied around the perimeter of the liner.
At the front of the Bible is the Title Page, Copyright Page, a six-page Foreword, General Format, Abbreviations and Special Markings, Books of the Bible, and Old Testament Title Page.
Located at the back of the Bible are some limited study helps, such as Monetary Units, Weights and Measures, Concordance, and Bible maps. The Concordance is 100 pages long and is set in a three-column format, the print in the Concordance is around 8-9pt. font, which is a little disappointing in comparison to the size of the text. The maps are in full color on glossy paper with no Bible Index.
The strong points of this edition are in the quality of the materials used and the overall build quality of the book. The printing is well done, and the font size lives up to it being designated as a true Giant Print edition as well as the size of the references.
Some of the weak points are the crinkling down the gutter and the size of the font in the Concordance could stand to be larger. Also, there is no notepaper at the back of this edition. I would also like to see some newer maps, the LSB uses the 1995 NASB Lockman Foundation maps, which are approaching 30 years old now, so some new maps for the LSB would be most welcome.
The LSB Giant Print is available in four different bindings at various price points, as well as indexed and non-indexed editions.
You can purchase direct here: LSB Giant Print Goatskin
Cowhide non indexed edition: CBD LSB Giant Print Cowhide
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