2020 update: Click here to read my review of the R.L. Allan 43 KJV.
This is a review of a really cool (and modern) copy of the KJV Bible, The TBS Westminster Reference Bible. I know, some of you are thinking “the KJV is lame” or “the language is out of date and hard to understand” but trust me people, it is worth your time to read! The beautiful and inspirational language used within the poetic literature alone is worth it. Reading the KJV will expand your vocabulary, and with any amount of imagination you will also be able to better relate with the English speaking Christian writers of the previous 4 centuries!
I give you: The TBS Westminster Reference Bible in all its glory. (I will call it Westminster hereon out.)
The Westminster has a smooth (but noticeable) grain to the calfskin.
The cover is black without any traditional “Holy Bible” stamping. The spine is simple, with the usual markings. Publishers of the KJV usually don’t feel the need to print “KJV” all over the spine like the folks over at Crossway do with the ESV. Crossway: We don’t need 4 ESV’s on the spine. We know it is the ESV! (end of rant)
As you can see, the gold gilt edges on the Westminster are really nice and shiny.
The Westminster comes with 4 – 1/4″ ribbons. Two red ribbons in the OT and 2 black ribbons in the NT. Reviewers of this Bible have suggested that the red ribbons would be better placed in the NT section (resembling the blood shed by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.) I don’t find the need to over spiritualize the Westminster and am very thankful TBS didn’t cheap out and slap some cheesy ribbons in it and call it a day. 4 has always been my preferred ribbon count in a Bible.
There is a fairly thick piece of cardboard underneath the calfskin in the Westminster. I rolled the back cover up like a newspaper and as you can see it maintained some of the curl (until I manually forced it back in place.)
The text block itself is where the Westminster really shines. Personally I am not really familiar with any of TBS’s other Bibles on the market, so I can’t say there aren’t other models that have similar layouts. However, I have never come across anything quite like the Westminster and I have seen many KJV Bibles.
The Westminster is stitched and lays flat in Genesis and Revelation. This is a big plus in my book. (Do you see a small scuff on the gilt at the bottom? That’s where the ribbon was tucked in when I took it out of its box. TBS can fix that issue by either allowing the ribbon to pop out fully, or tuck it in with more leeway for movement.) Also, notice how the paper has a yellow tint to it? No, that is not a lighting issue on my end. This paper is printed in Netherlands by Jongbloed and has a slight cream tint to it.
Checkout the page layout of the Westminster Bible below. Note the text on the top right of the picture, the text right before Chapter 2 starts, and the references on both the outside and the inside of the page. Also note the modern typeset used in the Westminster. The font looks right around 9.5. This is a double column verse by verse book (a favorite layout of Bible preachers and teachers everywhere). You can also see where new paragraphs would have started if this were a paragraph format instead of a verse by verse format by the small paragraph marks before the verses. The Westminster has line matching as well, which makes the bleed through minimal.
To demonstrate how good the paper is, I underlined this verse.
This is the opposite side of the same sheet. Notice how the under lining from the previous side of the page does not bleed through? The paper in Westminster is really good!
Tucked in the back of the Westminster is a 100+ page concordance. This concordance is fairly beefy and most helpful (not everyone carries their smartphone everywhere and it’s nice to have a Bible with these features included.)
It wouldn’t be a review unless there is some sort of a comparison For this comparison I selected the RL Allan Longprimer (I will call it Longprimer hereon out.) I was surprised to discover that the Westminster and Longprimer text blocks were really not that much different dimensional wise. The Longprimer looks bigger because it has 1/2″ of leather popping out from the text block while the Westminster does not.
Longprimer on the left, Westminster on the right. Both are KJV, both are double column, both are verse by verse, both have references (in different places) and both are outstanding copies of God’s Word.
The Westminster (top) is actually a thicker Bible than the Longprimer (bottom.)
Here is Psalm 63 in the Westminster:
And Psalm 63 in the Longprimer:
There are 16 sheets of blank paper in the back of the Westminster.
The Longprimer has a similar amount of lined paper in the back.
This is a sample of the maps included in the back of the Westminster:
And here is an example of the maps in the back of the Longprimer:
The Westminster uses a cheap, synthetic liner:
The Longprimer is leather lined:
Finally, the Longprimer (top) has 3/8″ ribbons opposed to the 1/4″ thick ribbons used on the Westminster. Personally, I prefer the bigger ribbons, and the ones used in the Longprimer feel much higher quality as well!
In summary,the TBS Westminster, and the Allan Longprimer are outstanding Bible’s. While the Longprimer has nicer ribbons, leather lining, and a nicer calfskin, the TBS has the superior text block, a more modern (and enjoyable typeset) and cost 1/3 the price! Yes you read that right.
God Bless!
The Religious Nerd 
You should’ve also included the fact that the Westminster includes the niceities of defining the archaic words in the margin and the Translators to the Reader. A major + in my book. I found it comforting also that the Longprimer and Westminster are almost the same length and width (excluding yapp), and really nice that the Wesminster is thicker. I’ve never pre-ordered a Bible before, but for the Schuyler AV (Red), I definitely will!
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Jarrett, thank you for the comment brother. My aim was for the review to be pictures only, and sadly I had to add words because it would have been confusing for some 🙂 Anyway, hopefully the readers will scroll down and check out your comments as they are correct! Blessings !
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Great review of one of my favorite Bibles! I’m tempted to try TBS again on a different Bible to see if the quality is just as good…any thoughts?
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Anyone have any thoughts on TBS quality? This is my first copy of a TBS Bible and I’m impressed with it. Thanks for stopping by and commenting Terrance. God Bless!
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Generally speaking, I’ve seen very good comments about the quality of TBS Bibles. However, I do know at least a couple of men who have had problems with their TBS Concord after a few years. For what it’s worth I think those were made in the UK and not in the Netherlands by Jongbloed, where they are apparently being made now. I know that’s the case with at least one of them.
My Windsor is not bad but some of the pages were wrinkled although still readable. It’s basically just a nuisance. In retrospect I probably should have sent it back but, hey, it was only $32 for the Calfskin with the Metrical Psalms. It was printed in Belarus but I understand that they are being made in the Netherlands now. Under heavy use I can see it wouldn’t last a “lifetime” without a rebind, but the price is right. I know people who are doing good to get 10 years or so out of a Cambridge or Oxford without needing a rebind.
I think the bottom line is that the quality of TBS Bibles is generally better (and especially better for the $$) than the large USA publishers but is not in the same league with Cambridge or especially Allan. But one shouldn’t expect that given the price. Local Church Bible Publishers might be superior as well but I don’t think I’ve seen one to be able to compare.
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Yes, great review, Brandon! I have had mine for a month or so and love it, and highly recommend it!
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Thank you Anonymous, I’m glad that you are enjoying your copy so much!
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I really, Really, REALLY like my Westminster!! Did I mention that I really like it? The only thing I wish they added is the scripture references for the proper names. Not a big deal…I still REALLY like the Westminster! I hope Schuyler doesn’t confine the choice to full-yapp bulking this Bible. I actually want a semi-yapp (I too have the Longprimer in Blue Calfskin & Brown Goatskin full yapp)
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Steph, thanks for stopping by. I agree with you completely, there is a reason that full yapp isn’t a prevalent option on most Bible’s. I think most customers prefer a slight to a semi yapp look on their bible. I happen to be a big fan of the look of Cambridge products and of the new Schuyler line. Blessings!
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Thanks for the review! I don’t think I had seen the blank pages mentioned before, but perhaps it just escaped my notice. The cheap leather lining leaves something to be desired but I guess they had to cut corners somewhere to get it at this price point. (I’ll have to wait to see it myself to compare it to my Windsor. Over time I wonder if it will prove to be a problem with regard to durability) The Westminster is more for your money than their Concord, for which you pay more and get less, at least in my estimation. But that may depend on what you’re looking for.
I don’t have the Westminster yet to compare, but this text block appears to be very similar if not identical to the TBS Windsor Text Bible that was released a few years ago. I think most (if not all) of the rest of their offerings are Cambridge settings. My Windsor was made in Belarus but I understand that some (if not all at this point) are also made by Jongbloed. I see some less expensive Cambridge Bibles are now being made in Belarus as well.
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Chris, I read somewhere recently that the Westminster and Windsor shared a similar layout (though had some sort of difference internally?) so I think you’re onto something! Thank you for the comment and God Bless!
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Brandon,
The Windsor is simply a two-column text edition. It’s the font that’s the similarity. There are several reviews of it online. The first one I saw may have been J. Mark Bertrand’s in his post about TBS about 3 years ago. (He must be busy since he hasn’t reviewed the Westminster yet. Maybe he’s waiting for the Schuyler?) The new setting plus a calfskin Bible in the $30 price range are what turned heads. It also has the “Translators to the Reader.” Some editions include the Metrical Psalms (1650) included as well. You can get it from Evangelical Bible and some other distributors, including directly from TBS.
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Good job on the review.
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Thank you!
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(Earlier I meant to post this on this thread, but by accident I posted on the NASB WM) I have owned both of these bibles and I agree, for the money the Westminster is definitely a better buy, although the text type in my opinion could be bolder. My biggest issue with the Longprimer is the size of the references, a lot of positive comments are made about the Longprimer’s text type and size but very little is ever mentioned about the tiny references. I only mention this because both bibles are advertised as reference bibles. On the other hand, the Westminster is advertised as having over 200 thousand references but according to the box it states only 80 thousand cross references. The Longprimer definitely has a better binding, the full yapp is awesome, but I feel an extra $120 is a bit steep for the goatskin. Overall, I prefer the look of the layout in the Cambridge Concord reference, but I have yet to purchase one because I was afraid the text and references would be too small, for me anyway. I would love for Cambridge to increase the overall size of the Concord along with the text and references, if the paper was of a good quality then it would probably be my ideal bible. Currently I’m waiting to see what Allan does with the NKJV they have scheduled for release in Jan. 2013. I appreciate the comparisons with the Longprimer and the Westminster and earlier with the NASB Wide Margin, the comparisons gives me some perspective. Ditto on the NASB WM, if it had bolder text I might give it a 10.
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Pat, thank you for the comments. Ditto to everything you said, especially regarding the Allan LP references. Btw, I think Allan is simply putting a leather shell on the already existing Korean printed double column verse by verse text block. It’s a good text block though.
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From what I understand, the 80,000 cross reference statement is an extremely conservative estimate. I’m thinking there has got to be many more than that because there are more “normal” reference editions with center column references claim to have that many references. For example, Crossway claims that their New Classic Reference Bible has over 80,000.
I’ll be interested to see how dark the print is. It looks OK in these pictures and others I’ve seen posted. But I pulled up TBS’ PDF of a page of the Westminster to compare it to some others and the ink looked faint. But I’m thinking that surely that is simply a bad scan. I’m hoping it is at least as good as the Windsor Text, especially since the typeface looks to be the same. The TBS Concord looks nice and dark. I think I may end up getting that one as well as I tend to prefer the more “classic” typeface that you have in older Cambridge and Oxford editions.
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Chris, I no longer have these two bibles in my possession so I’m recounting from memory and at the time I purchased the Westminster I no longer owned the Longprimer, so it’s difficult for me to make a fair comparison. My first impression of the Westminster was that the text was not as bold as the Longprimer and as you said it is not a traditional layout like the Oxford or Cambridge. I did like the layout of the Westminster because it was closer to the Thompson Chain layout which is what I’m used to. The references are advertised as 200 thousand cross references but on the box it is listed as 80 thousand and I don’t dispute either, but it is somewhat confusing. I think the listing for the text size in the Concord and Westminster were approximately 9.5, personally I like the idea of a more modern setting, but either way they both appear to be a great buy.
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Brandon, I was unaware of any Korean printing of the Longprimer, I had a 2009 Jongbloed printing in Navy Blue, and it was a good-looking bible. I agree with you on the main text, although I think a layout with a larger margin would have been more appealing, but all of this would mean a larger bible, which would be fine with me. My main disappointment was the contrast in size between the main text and the references. While reading my eyes had a difficult time adjusting between the text and the references, which for me created an uncomfortable amount of eye strain. Over the past 10 years I have used a KJV Thompson Chain (regular size) with a 8 pt. text type with slightly smaller references and I’ve never noticed any eye strain.
I also agree with your assessment of the generous imprinting on the spines of bibles in the case of the ESV. The same could be said for trademarks and emblems imprinted on the spines and the fronts of bibles. With this said, I wonder how do you feel about the upcoming release of Shuyler’s NKJV. Most of the response so far has been positive, (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151184425098264.465495.75634563263&type=3), but it might be a deal breaker for me. I just hope Shuyler is not planning this for their upcoming Westminster Ref. release.
Again I appreciate your Bible comparisons.
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Any thoughts or reviews on the hardback edition?
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Just what I’ve read on the TBS website, it looks like they have (2) hardback editions listed and both are listed as being quality sewn and both also use bible paper. The listing appears identical to the Calfskin and for $24 I don’t think you could go wrong, although I think I prefer the look of the more traditional black hardcover.
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Thanks so much for the great review! Between the Westminster and Longprimer, which Bible do you prefer to read/study from? Has your Westminster been holding up in durability? Are there any other reasons that you would prefer one over the other?
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Steve, Thank you for the comment! The KJV is not my primary translation so I don’t spend too much time in either of these. I usually find myself reaching for either my new Allan NASB or the Allan ESV1/Reader. I do enjoy the KJV though, and think the Westminster is my favorite of these 2 books. That said, the Westminster is holding up quite well (given that it is sitting in its box right now). Unless the KJV is your primary translation, or a translation you spend a lot of time in, I would purchase the cheaper copy (the Westminster) if I were you.
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Thanks brother, well done & hope you post more! I have a few longprimers 53 (black) and 53dj & love them! The quality is shocking, worth every crummy cent. Parting with my tbs reference, trimming down my collection big time right now on ebay! I am such a pharisee with my bibles that I think I need to cut it by at least half! Also trying to use the English Standard Version right now alot more for evangelism, bible study & so on (because of ease of use). Using the ESV more is hard when I have so many AKJV bibles in my house, though! Maybe you can talk EB into sending you a Schuyler Westminster Reference (or new stock ESV that will be changed slightly) and they could link it to your site.
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Matteo, thanks for stopping by. I saw your books on eBay, I hope you sell all of them ! So far I’ve been unsuccessful in convincing evangelical bible to send me a copy to review but I remain hopeful!
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I have 1 Windsor reg. 1Metre Ps. and both of them are A+ perfect on the leather bindings. On my Westminster it is A+ perfect on the leather Binding.My TBS Family Bible is an A. My Schuyler is a B+
on the leather binding. It was not perfect. My R.L.Allen isA++ prefect. Its the most beautiful Bible i have.
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Brandon, I really commend you for an excellent and even-handed and thorough review.When the review
was originally done, it may not have been known that Schuyler was going to produce a “Classic Reference
KJV” using the same, or almost the same text block. I have been torn between the Longprimer and the new
Schuyler. Your photos were most excellent, spotlighting the two Bibles you were reviewing, and putting them side by side for comparison. You treated each one with the respect deserved, and were not afraid
to point out the price difference to help people make a value judgement based on their budget.
Setting aside the differences in the leathers, I was able to focus on the text itself as far as features
and readability. Setting similar pages side by side, you made it easy for me to decide which has the
more readable text. I respect the Longprimer and hope to have one someday. But my first choice will
have to be with the Schuyler/TBS.
There are lots of folks with lots of subjective opinions, repeating a lot of other folks ideas out there on
the web and YouTube. Your approach was easily the most helpful.
God bless you, sir.
Dan
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Dan, Thank you for your comment, I appreciate it. If I were you, I would grab the cheaper calfskin version of the Westminster, and grab the RL Allan Longprimer in goatskin. If you haven’t owned an Allan Bible, specifically the Longprimer, it is the one book you should own in your lifetime 🙂 It’s truly amazing craftsmanship from cover to cover. Blessings to you as well sir!
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Brandon, I’ll keep your suggestion in mind about the Longprimer. I find that I am safer making my choices
based on practicals. KJV tends to be harder for me to read primarily because of the Elizabethan English.
I had heard that the Longprimer has a “Chain System” in their cross references–don’t know if that’s so,
but if you know, please tell me. I have a Large Print Thompson KJV, but the topics are tied to Mr. Thompson’s perspective. I also like the idea of a Name Dictionary. As I looked at the pages side by side
the TBS text block simply appeared more easily readable because there was more space between lines of print. And I like the layout with cross references on the outer columns. I bought a Schuyler NKJV
single column; great leather and craftsmanship, it’s just tricky going to single column after having
two column all my life. Thanks for your time and insight,
Dan
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I agree with you about the reviews here! And I I love that so many pictures are provided! I understand that you have made your selection, however owning both the Schuyler KJV (Luxurious Westminster) and the Long primer, whenever possible please get both!! And toss in a black letter goatskin Concord and a goatskin Clarion. Your KJV collection will be beyond impressive and pretty much complete!
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