The CSB Handcrafted Single-Column, Wide-Margin Bible

It has been quite some time since I can remember there being so much anticipation for a Bible. Rumors flew around, the date got pushed back, and rumors were made up regarding this Bible. Maybe it was the lack of pictures, the lack of information, or just the fact that this was Holman’s second truly premium Bible being released in the CSB, but the Handcrafted Collection Single-Column, Wide-Margin generated quite a stir!

It has finally arrived and I was as excited as anyone to get a copy in my hands. It’s a beautiful Bible. It’s a premium Bible. It’s a behemoth of a Bible! Holman did a lot of things right when it comes to this Bible so let’s quit teasing it and just talk about it!

Top to Bottom: CSB VbV, CSB Single Column, CSB Ancient Faith Study Bible

Outer Materials

A friend and I like to joke that most reviewers say, “This is the box” and move on. The box here is worth mentioning though. It is the same blue Holman has been using for premium editions and it is largely the same design, but Holman has officially dubbed their premium line the “Holman Handcrafted Collection” and that name and logo now adorns the box front and center. It’s a good look and a clever name.

When you pull the Bible out of the box you’ll first unwrap it from the card stock paper, which protects it on its journey to your home. You’ll then be immediately struck by how big this Bible is! I don’t think anyone was expecting it, but this Bible is huge and I love it! It weighs something like 4.5 pounds and it probably won’t be your go to for preaching if you typically hold your Bible while you preach. However, it’s a great table Bible and if you typically leave your Bible on the pulpit then you may love preaching from this thing!

The second thing I notice is the goatskin leather. It’s black and has a great grain to it. I personally really love the look and feel of this goatskin and would consider it a major upgrade from the leather of the CSB Verse-by-Verse Bible. It feels a bit more rough to the touch, but I love it. Stamped on the spine in gold are the CSB logo, “HOLY BIBLE”, “CHRISTIAN STANDARD BIBLE”, and “HOLMAN”. There are also three tooled ribs. I personally prefer raised ribs on the spine, but I think the tooling is a nice look on a Bible of this size. This Bible is Smyth-sewn, which is a must for keeping a Bible like this going for the long haul.

The page edges have a red under gold art gilt. There are black head and tail bands. There are also three double-sided satin ribbon markers in black, gold, and orange. I love that they’ve chosen to give three different colors in their bookmarks because I think it adds to the aesthetic of the Bible. Also, major praise to Holman for choosing to use wider ribbons! I love the look of the wider ribbons and these bookmarks are a major upgrade from the Verse-by-Verse. I do wish they were a little longer, but I am very pleased with these.

Inner Materials

Inside you’ll fine a black calfskin liner. It feels really nice to the touch. It may be a little stiff, but I think it helps give the Bible shape—the Bible itself is still very flexible. There is a gold perimeter gilt line wrapping around the inside. I can’t say enough that Holman really knocked it out of the park on the design of this Bible.

The paper is a nice, thick 36 gsm and true white in color. They could have cut thickness down by using 28 gsm, but I’m glad they didn’t. Being a wide margin, you’ll want thicker paper for writing so 36 gsm was the right choice—anything more would have made this unwieldy.

Page Layout and Text

At heart, I’m a single column kind of guy. I’ve come around to enjoy and appreciate double column layouts, but I still get excited about single columns more. When I heard Holman was doing a premium single column, I got really excited. When I saw the font was so big, I got even more excited! But I’m getting ahead of myself.

This is a beautiful single column layout. The outer margin is 1.5 inches wide and the inner is one inch. There is plenty of space for note taking and it gives the page a really clean look. Page headings, book titles, chapter numbers, and verse numbers all are in a maroon accent color. Translation notes are at the bottom separated by a maroon line and their verse locations are also in a maroon accent color. The font size is listed as 10.5 point, but honestly it looks more like an 11. I’m also a fan of big fonts. Did I mention I really love this Bible?

Extras

In the back, you’ll find a Table of Weights and Measures. There’s a three column Concordance, but the font is quite small. With tired eyes, I’d probably need a magnifying glass to use it. Lastly there are maps on matte paper. I personally would be ok if no Bible ever had maps again, but if you’re going to have them, I think matte paper is the way to go.

Conclusion

This Bible is excellent! It’s got a great cover. It has a big font! There’s plenty of room to write (typically I don’t, but this Bible seems like it just begs to be written in). I think Holman did everything right with this one including the price. If you enjoy the CSB and you enjoy single column Bibles then pick one of these up! You won’t regret it.

You can pick up your copy of this Bible from Lifeway or Amazon (affiliate).

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this Bible in exchange for a fair and honest review.