Inexpensive Excellence: The "Portfolio" Thinline ESV

I'm not a purist. As much as I appreciate tradition, I don't think it's worth perpetuating just because it's tradition. If I love well-bound leather bound Bibles, it has very little to do with nostalgia for the "good old days." I love them because they are things of beauty, because they are more functional than their poorly-bound cousins, and because anything worth doing is worth doing well. A Bible doesn't have to be expensive to be made well, and it doesn't have to be bound in leather, either.

No one despises the morbid particleboard substance known as "bonded leather" more than I do. Before you settle for a bonded leather Bible, you would be better off choosing a hardback. Bonded leather is stiff. It curls (or bends) at the corners. It feels terrible to the touch. After long, hard use, some bonded leather covers will soften, just as some bad bindings will lay flat if you force them to. But why bother? If you want a leather-bound Bible, spend the extra money and get one. Accept no imitation.

Something interesting has been happening in Bible publishing, though.

A new generation of leather alternatives have been introduced, and they seem to hold a lot of promise. The first I encountered them was in the binding of one of Tyndale's inexpensive NLT editions. "Feel this," I said to my bookstore manager friend, who's as picky about Bible binding as I am. The cover was soft and flexible. It felt a little tacky to the touch, but in an interesting way. Although it only cost about $20, the little volume had a lot of the "liquidity" you would expect from a much better Bible. Every time I visited the store, I ended up in the same section, handling the new "pleather" Bibles.

A few years have passed, and now the new imitation leather bindings have gotten quite good. There is an amazingly compact NIV Study Bible -- no larger than a hand-sized Bible -- bound in attractive two-toned imitation leather that seems like a steal for the price. As much as I needle Crossway to introduce the editions of the English Standard Version that I'd like to see, they've been quite active in turning out what they call TruTone editions -- standard Thinline and Compact settings bound in imitation leather. I haven't taken much of an interest in these because they're typically youth-oriented, featuring Celtic crosses, crowns of thorns and other decorative motifs. I don't wear t-shirts with logos, and I don't want artwork on my Bible cover. But over the summer, I had a chance to visit Crossway and see some of the (then) upcoming editions. That's where I discovered the Portfolio Thinline.

A finished prototype was sitting on the desk of Dallas Richards, Director of Production Services, and I couldn't stop picking it up. Considering how closely Richards' office resembles an Alladin's Cave of Bible design, that's really saying something. Unlike the other TruTone Thinlines, the Portfolio was free of embellishment. It's bound in an attractive two-toned brown with simulated grain. It is also quite flexible. In fact, the more I handled it, the more it seemed to me like a Poor Man's Cordovan Thinline.

And that's a good thing. As much as I like finely bound Bibles, they cost a pretty penny. I have a hard time exposing them to the neglect and damage of everyday use. That's why the Bible I keep in my car isn't bound in classy goatskin; it's a bonded leather ESV Compact in British Tan that once drank a cup a coffee with cream. I let it dry, unstuck the pages, and now it does duty as a "beater." Anything happens to it, I won't shed a tear. I couldn't say the same for some of the other Bibles I've profiled on this site. Well, the problem with this approach is that the Bibles I stuff into book bags and drag around on a daily basis tend not to have all the pleasant attributes I've been railing about. This increases my frustration with modern binding and makes Mark a tedious, one-trick pony. The thought of having an inexpensive, soft, pliable, liquid Portfolio Thinline was enough to have me contemplating theft! Could I somehow manage to place the prototype into my stack of books and leave Richards' office with it? "I know it's wrong, Lord," I whined, "but what else can I do?"

I could wait, and that's what I did. As soon as the Portfolio Thinline was available, I ordered a copy, and now I've been using it on a daily basis for about a week. Naturally, the Portfolio doesn't hold a candle to the Cordovan Thinline. The paper isn't as nice. The cover doesn't feel as good in the hand. But for what you pay -- $29.99 retail, and just $19.79 at Amazon -- the value is remarkable. First off, the TruTone cover looks quite nice. I've included a photo of the cover here so you can see (1) the grain and (2) the actual colors, which are two shades of brown, and not the pinkish shade you'll see in the mock-up photo at Crossway and Amazon. A second picture illustrates that the Portfolio Thinline lies flat. If you pay $100 for a Bible, then it would be unforgiveable if it didn't -- still, many expensive Bibles won't -- but when you pay less than $20, let's face it: your expectations are low. The Portfolio delivers, and that makes it a very pleasant Bible to hold in the hand while reading.

The Portfolio Thinline isn't perfect. The cover on mine has a slight tendency to turn up at the bottom edges. Like all of Crossway's Thinlines -- including the Cordovan -- the binding is not sewn. But these things don't detract from my overall impression because, for what it is, the Portfolio is excellent.

LINKS
Crossway's Portfolio Page | Order at Amazon.com

Comments

[Andrew]

These are, indeed, quite nice for the price, and I also having something that's fairly slim. I only wish that they would offer an Anglicized version in Canada. It may sound petty, but using bibles with American spellings really does annoy me.

[R. Seto]

Thanks for your Bible reviews!

In case you're interested, there's a place that sells ESV Bibles for a better price than Amazon:

http://www.wtsbooks.com/product-exec/product_id/4523/nm/ESV_Bible_Compact_TruTone_Edition_Brown_Cordovan_Portfolio_Design_Red_Letter_/parent_id/21

[jason]

Do you know if there is a particular vendor or trade name for the imitation leather that Crossway uses? I've been searching for some sheets of it, but haven't found it yet.

Thanks,
jason

[J. Mark Bertrand]

Jason, all the information I have on the substance is found here:

http://jmarkbertrand.typepad.com/bibledesign/2007/11/the-sincerest-f.html

I don't know the name of the vendor, but I believe the stuff is sourced in Italy.

[Stan]

Just curious as to how your portfolio is holding up. I purchased one shortly after reading your review but my wife took it to school with her and I haven't seen it since. I may get another one for ME.

Thanks for your help.

[J. Mark Bertrand]

Mine has held up fine, Stan, but it's not my primary Bible so I don't really put it through the ringer. If your wife has been using yours constantly, she'd be in a better position to tell you how it holds up! My guess is that the cover is durable, and the real cause for concern is the glued binding.

[Mark]

My portfolio has held up well for two years now and it gets a workout from traveling and parish visitations. It's even recently survived a car accident (which is more than I can say for the car!)

[matt]

J. Mark - Curious what your main bibles are? that you use the most.

[J. Mark Bertrand]

Whichever one I'm about to write about! :)

Seriously, the black hardcover ESV Journaling Bible is my main squeeze, both for practical and sentimental reasons. Practical because it's perfect for sticking in a satchel. Sentimental because it marks the first time I ever went to a publisher and said, "Why don't you do this?" and got a result. :) Next to that would have to be the tan Allan's ESV.

For church, I prefer a smaller edition I can slip in my pocket when I need a free hand, like the Cambridge Crystal KJV from Allan's or the Little Oxford Bible.

[Stan]

Thanks for your feedback. My wife said she's pleased with hers. I can place my order now.

Then on to a NASB Pitt Minion!

[Earl G.]

I purchased the The "Portfolio" Thinline ESV, and it is just awful. The black letter text is much lighter than my bonded leather edition, and the red letter text in parts is so faded that one must squnit their eyes.
Anyways, I thought I just happened to get a defective one, so I contacted Good News Publishers and described my unsatisfaction. They graciously agreed to send me another Bible free of charge. Today, I have just recieved the new one in the mail today and it is exactly the same as my first.
All in all, these Bibles are basically unusable if you want to look up more then one or two passages.
I guess you get what you pay for, and this is indeed an inexpensive Bible.

[Roy]

I have a teacher friend who bought this edition of the ESV. It appears that Crossway updated their print so its easier to read and not as much bleeding in the pages as in the past. However, I would prefer to still use the higher quality Bibles that Crossway publishes instead of this edition. While better than Zondervan and Nelson, it still lacks that Allan Bible feel as top notch.

[David]

This is a great blog

I would love a kjv of this kind of bible, Theres nothing like it for KJV in the UK - unless you want pink or orange!

[Dina]

I really enjoyed reading your post. Last month I wrote a review on the Tru-Tone portfolio classic reference edition. I'm not an exert but I have to admire the way this Bible lays flat while reading, and the way it feels in my hands while holding it. I love the cover design though I was kind of hoping it would be a pinkish brown. But the more natural tones do look very nice for this design.

[mike smith]

While I have not used this model I have been using the newer bonded leather because it is sewn binding along with a few other models in the thinline line. It is softing over time and I can aways have it rebound locally in good leather. EvengelicalBible.com or Westminister bookstore have the best prices for crossway. The Bible cost around $17.00 plus shipping. A good Bible for a great price.

[Gerald Winslow]

FYI - Crossway has just released new Classic Thinlines that are Smyth sewn (says so on the box, and I verified it myself). New covers too - I saw one in the Charcoal Crown, it was very nice.

[Walter Owens]

Just received mine today. It is a remarkable little book, "bigger on the inside than on the outside". Somehow, the text is neither small nor crowded. Yes the leather is fake, the binding is glued, the type is light, the paper is not opaque. But in spite of its limitations it is astonishingly easy to read and easy to carry.

[bill]

Walter, you might want to check your binding again. My VALUE thinline (under $10) is Smyth-sewn, and in just 24-page (not sheets!) signatures so it is even more flexible than the standard 32-page signature. The trutone cover and paper endpages remind you it's a bargain, but the binding itself is superb.

I certainly agree with your readability comment: "bigger on the inside than on the outside"

[Walter Owens]

Thanks for the poke, Bill. I checked the box (a lot easier), and sure enough, it says "Smyth-sewn". So, even better. Maybe someday I'll have it rebound in northern exposure Knoydart goatskin.