We got this Bible in September of 2013 and discovered it to be an excellent "daily reader." The color scheme is quite unique, with the verse numbers in blue and a light brown dividing line between the text and notes. There are also timelines and book introductions.
The cover is black genuine leather.
Here is the front of the box.
Here is the back of the box.
Here is a closeup of the back of the box, with some detail concerning the Bible's features.
Here is a view of the closed Bible. The silver page edges are somewhat unusual for a Bible with a black cover. Most Bibles
with black covers have gold page edges. When I first saw this Bible, I perceived it as having a navy blue cover.
The stamping along the spine is also silver-colered.
Here is another view of the Bible closed.
On the left is our Holman KJV Study Bible, and on the right is the Nelson NKJV Study Bible. Although the NKJV Study Bible
contains about 140 more pages, you can see that it is not as thick as the Holman KJV Study Bible. This is because the paper
of the Holman KJV Study Bible is a little thicker than most Bible paper.
This Bible has two ribbon markers; one black, and one light gray.
In this photo, I have placed my hand on the Bible to give an indication of its size. My hands are of average size.
Here's another photo showing the size of the Bible in relationship to my hand.
I wouldn't hesitate to carry this Bible to church or Bible study, but for most people it will probably require a lap,
a table, or two hands when holding it open.
The text in the center of the Bible is a little hard to see when the Bible is flat on a table. However, this is
Smythe-sown binding, and we had only had it for three months when this photo was taken. As the binding loosens up with use,
it may lay flat enough on a table so that the text near the center is easier to see.
Here is a page layout example from the Old Testament. Note the light brown line between text and notes. The descriptive
headings above sections of Biblical text are blue, as are the verse numbers and the verse refernces in both the center
column and the notes. The larger chapter numbers are also in blue. However, the paragraph symbols (7:9,13,15 and 8:6,10 in
this example) are black like the Scripture text.
Here is a page layout example from the New Testament, showing the red lettering. The "red" letters seem to be somewhat
pinkish, which may be intended to enhance readability. I find them pretty easy on the eyes.
I LOVE little extras like this. There are several of these helpful full-color illustrations throughout this Bible.
There are very ink-rich pages that make up the introductions and timelines for each book. When the Bible was first opened,
these caused the pages to stick together. Any Bible with gilded page edges requires care on first opening, to separate the
pages, but these heavily-inked pages required even more attention. Once separated, we have had no additional problems. One
just needs to be patient and careful when separating the pages for the first time.
All four of these Bibles have "genuine leather" covers, but their appearance and feel are quite different. The Bibles
pictured are, clockwise from the upper right: (1) The Holman KJV Study Bible, (2) Neslon's NKJV Wide-Margin Reference Bible
from the mid-1980s, (3) Nelson's NKJV Study Bible (Burgundy - first edition) purchased in 2007, and (4) Oxford's Wide-Margin
Refernce Bible, printed in 1975, which has a Morocco leather cover with leather lining.
This is a close-up of the same four Bibles pictured above. The leather of the Holman KJV Study Bible has a very smooth feel
and a "shiney" appearance more similar to the Oxford Bible to its left.