Reviews Schuyler Quentel Esv Bible Imperial Blue Goatskin

Schuyler's high-terminate line of Bibles, the Quentel, at present has a new edition – the ESV. The Quentel was designed to be the well-nigh elegant Bible on the market. It's i of those extremely rare cases (especially in modernistic 24-hour interval publishing) when elegance and dazzler are placed above size and toll. In this review I accept a close wait at its features and meet if information technology lives upwardly to the hype. The edition I'm reviewing is the Regal Blue with bluish nether argent art-gold edges and gilded stamping on the spine.

Pros

Large print
Thick, opaque paper
Goatskin cover
Elegant

Cons

Large
Heavy
Expensive

Features

2011 ESV
Goatskin cover and liner
11 point Milo serif font
84 ISO opaque paper
80,000 cross references
ESV footnotes
ESV section headings
63-folio cyclopedia
14 Oxford maps

Tervakoski 38 gsm Paper
Typesetting designed past 2K/Denmark
Art gilt edges
3 Berisford ribbons
6.5 x nine.75 x 1.875 (cover dimensions)
6 1/eight 10 9 1/8 (page dimensions)
3lbs, 2.5oz. (approximate)
Printed and spring in holland by Jongbloed

Click here to buy from EvangelicalBible: Schuyler ESV Quentel

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Photography notes: photos were taken with 2 different cameras nether several unlike lighting conditions in order to highlight various features. All photos are high-res, and then yous tin click them to see information technology shut upwards.

Offset Impressions

While holding the box information technology was shipped in, my kickoff idea was that it didn't really feel too heavy. On opening the box my outset thought was information technology didn't look besides large. I actually expected information technology to be larger and heavier than information technology is. It is on the large side, but information technology'southward no larger than an average study Bible and I'm used to conveying Bibles that size.

On opening the Bible I was immediately drawn to the paper and impress. This paper, font, and layout is what I've been looking for in a Bible. I didn't hear the creaky sound that I heard in the Schuyler KJV.

Encompass and Binding

The cover on my review re-create is Imperial Blue goatskin with a darker blueish edge-lined liner that is stitched around the perimeter. The liner is also leather and has a gold gilt-line around the edges. I'grand glad they included the gilt-line. Information technology gives an extra flare that most publishers have gone away from.

The embrace is soft and flexible, and the grain is pebbly and pronounced. I like the feel and flexibility of the leather. Information technology is thick and feels perfect for the size of the Bible. The blue is gorgeous. Combined with a Smyth-sewn binding, it will lay open anywhere I desire it to. The white caput and tail bands blend well with the blue under silver art-gilt.

After using information technology for a while it does take a slight leather creaky sound, simply I usually don't hear it when I open it. It'south ordinarily when I rub the comprehend against the stop sheet within or if I squeeze the spine. Information technology'southward not that loud and I actually like the sound.

This edition is unique in that information technology has golden stamping on the spine – just like all the other ESV Quentel'south – but instead of having a matching gold fine art-gilt edging, the art gilt is silvery. Later editions volition accept silver stamping on the spine. I chose the blue because I knew it would look great even with the gold and silver. Now that I've seen information technology I'thou glad information technology was made with gold stamping. I'm sure the silver volition look great also, but I really like this gold on blueish. I'd like to see it stay around.

Speaking of the spine, at that place are half-dozen embossed spinal ridges that dissever out diverse sections. They await dainty. I would like to see them raised merely a touch for a more elegant wait, but it might brand the spine too rigid. It might be better the way it is. The spine curves outward when opened.

Paper

The paper is 38 gsm Tervakoski Thinopaque from Finland. It has an opacity rating of 84 ISO. What'due south that mean in English? It's very thick and y'all can't see through information technology. I similar thick paper. It'due south extremely opaque. It looks and feels like the paper from a broad margin Cambridge. I always wanted a regular Bible with this paper. It not but looks amazing, just information technology'southward also piece of cake to turn. It has a slight off-white tint that looks smashing for reading. The paper is excellent for writing. It has a dull end, which I prefer.

The fine art-gilting on the blue edition has blue under silver. This gives it a cool (as in temperature) look. It's not distracting while reading and gives a soothing visual frame around the text. It's consistent and looks great.

Print

The text is a black-letter eleven-indicate Milo serif font with effectually a 12-betoken leading and line-matching. The spacing between the words looks natural. Some Bibles volition accept words that are besides shut together to become more on a line, and right-justification tin can make too much infinite betwixt words giving them an annoying amount of spacing. This isn't excessive in the Quentel. All of the spacing looks better balanced.

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I really like this font. Every bit I go older I'm moving toward larger fonts. This is the kind of font I can read for hours. It looks mod only it doesn't expect out of identify in a Bible. It'due south very crisp and easy to read for long periods of time. Information technology has the right amount of boldness, which is night merely not fire your eyes dark. It's comfortable. And of course information technology's every bit as consequent in its impress quality as I expected it to be. There are no print issues of whatsoever kind.

Affiliate numbers are in a two-line driblet-cap and they're printed in a brick ruby. I love this red. It's night and makes the chapters stand out and it looks astonishing. I dear highlighted features like this considering it keeps the pages from only being a bounding main of black text. The formatting for text also helps break up the verses so they don't all run together. Psalm 119 uses this red for the Hebrew letters and names. This looks really nice. I would similar to have seen this carried out for the other acrostic Psalms.

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References and footnotes are keyed to the text with letters and numbers. I can read this text without having to look at every single footnote. Some Bibles are worse for that than others. I can't read a Clarion or a Westminster without looking at the footnotes. I can ignore these, which for me is maxim a lot.

Layout

I love the modern layout. It presents the text in double-cavalcade, paragraph format with translation notes nether the last verse in the outer column, and references across the footer. Poetry is set to poetic verse (but never with a unmarried give-and-take on a line), and Former Testament quotes are also in a poetic setting.

The columns are 2.375" broad and comprise 35 characters. This is within the ideal. I'thou glad this is a double-column layout every bit a unmarried column the width of the page would exist too broad for reading and preaching. The width of the columns means I don't have to motion my head from side to side while I read. Double-column is just easier with my bifocals.

The inner columns come away from the gutter by .v inches. This brings the text out where y'all can run into information technology without it wrapping into the gutter. This is especially important on a Bible this thick. The outer margin is .375". I find it impressive that it has a larger inner margin than outer margin. This was an intentional design element to improve readability. Other publishers should accept note of this. I'll take a larger inner margin than outer margin every time.

I like that the references and notes are separate from the text. The notes are under the outer column and the references become beyond the page in the footer itself, separated by a crimson line. I also like that they're split from each other. I can read the text without having to look through references and notes, simply when I do want them they're piece of cake to find. The closer the notes are to the text the easier they are to find and use, simply beingness more conveniently located besides makes them more of a distraction and makes the layout await also decorated. Placing them in the footer helps with that a lot. I can read the text just as a text. I also like the notes nether the outer column. It gives a symmetry that my eyes like to come across. The page feels well-counterbalanced and it looks dandy.

The two columns of just text make the all-time use of space. The text isn't scrunched up to make room for a center or side column. There is enough room between the text and the footnotes that they don't blend together.

The header shows the book names and chapter numbers that appear on that page and the page number. They're printed in the same nighttime cherry highlight as the verse numbers.

The standard ESV section headings are in all caps. I would accept liked for them to have been printed in the same cerise equally the chapter numbers. Instead, they're in blackness and they tend to blend with the text. That would have looked nice, but it might take been too distracting, so I understand why they didn't. They chose to keep them the same colour then they don't become as well much of a distraction. This is something that I can appreciate. The headings exercise have some breathing room away from the text, so that helps proceed them gear up apart.

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Books start on a new page. I wish all Bibles did this every bit this infinite is swell for adding your ain notes, lists, sermon outlines, etc. If yous're the kind that writes in your Bibles, it makes sense to utilise this space; specially considering how dainty the paper is for writing.

Volume names are modest compared to the space given for them. This makes them actually stand out. Some will like the amount of space available and use it to write data virtually the book, such as author, appointment, setting, primal verse, and central points.

I love the look and experience of this page layout. It has the perfect residue betwixt reading and report. It's easy to read without distractions, and notwithstanding easy to employ the study tools. It is obvious the 2K/Kingdom of denmark has put a lot of piece of work into the blueprint. Every design chemical element was painstakingly and deliberately placed – from the width of the inner margin to the space between the words to the symmetry of the folio to the tapering of the cross references; and it shows. At that place's plenty white space that the text never feels cramped. It'due south been given the correct amount of breathing room.

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For more data about 2K/Denmark and the Quentel project, come across the commodity Schuyler Quentel Reference Bible NASB by Andreas Krautwald, which is an interesting and fun read with insights into the Bible design globe.

Cross References

Although I oasis't counted them to confirm, in that location are over 80,000 cross-references. They are the standard ESV references. They are keyed to the text with letters. They appear in the footer in Milo sanserif, which makes them match the font of the text, notwithstanding lets them stand apart, and keeps them readable at their smaller size. The affiliate and verse numbers are printed in brick red highlight. The font is very readable, making them really usable rather than just in that location. If I had to approximate the size of the font, I'd say it'south between 7-7.five, simply keep in mind that is just a gauge.

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There are xviii references for Genesis one:1 (counting a few passages that bridge multiple verses). John ane:1 has fifteen, and i John i:one has 10.

I like the quality of the content in the references. They requite you useful information like pointing out where the verse is cited. I really like this.

Footnotes

These are the standard ESV footnotes, and like the cross-references they're printed in Milo sanserif. The numbers are visually different from the verse numbers. I actually capeesh this. I can't tell you how many times I've searched the margin of a Clarion trying to find the note only to realize that I was seeing the verse number. That'southward not an issue with the Quentel. The numbers are piece of cake to encounter and yet easy to ignore at the same time.

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I love the detail of information in the footnotes. They include notes from Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, the Dead Body of water Scrolls, Syriac, Masoretic Text, Vulgate, Septuagint, variant spellings of names and places (includes references), manuscript variants (including alternate renderings and omissions), etc. It also shows where a proper name is spelled differently somewhere else by giving y'all the reference and the alternate spelling (first-class for reducing confusion). Notes from the original languages prove when a word could more than i meaning. It as well shows if a Psalm is an acrostic. I like little details like this, specially since it doesn't show upwards in English.

Cyclopedia

The concordance is 63 pages. In that location are iii columns per page. The text is smaller in the concordance. The entries are in cherry. The portions of the verses are blackness, and the references themselves are in red. Fifty-fifty the cyclopedia has line-matching.

The font in the concordance is very modest. I'grand guessing it to exist around 5-point. Information technology's nearly a shock to your eyes to become from that large of a font in the text to that small of a font in the concordance. I wear bifocals and didn't have whatsoever problems using the cyclopedia. I understand why it's so small, since a cyclopedia is one of the least used features of a Bible, but when it is used it needs to be useful enough to find most of what you demand. We only take two other options:

Make the font larger and remove some of the entries to proceed the page-count the same.
Make the font larger, keep the same number of entries, and add pages.

I vote to keep the smaller font because I don't want any entries removed and if at that place are any pages added I want them for notes.

The cyclopedia helps make this an amazing Bible for study and sermon prep. With a Bible this size I can meet how information technology would be tempting to exit the concordance out; peculiarly in a time when there are so many other tools bachelor for free online. I withal know a lot of preachers that don't have a calculator or a smartphone. I always look at my physical Bible earlier searching on my phone. I am very glad that it was included. Information technology ways I can practice more of my report just from this one Bible.

Hither are a few entries that I looked up while I was studying with the Quentel. This includes the variations on the discussion and the numbers of entries is given in parenthesis:

Assuming (3), Boldly (3), Boldness (3)
Religion (36), Faithful (12), Faithfulness (7), Faithless (2)
God (56), Goddess (two), Godliness (6), Godly (four), Gods (4)
Praise (eleven), Praised (4), Praises (3), Praising (iv), Pray (13), Prayed (five), Prayer (eleven), Prayers (7), Praying (4)

It contains names such as Caiaphas, Gamaliel, Seth, and many other names that do not appear very often in Scripture. It as well contains lots of common words, such equally loss, made, prepare, prove, prize, restore, insubordinate, rend, aforementioned, and lots more.

This is a very detailed concordance, making this Bible a bang-up tool for study without having to go to other tools. It is helpful for report and basic sermon and class prep.

Maps

The Quentel does not skimp on maps. There are 14 full color Oxford maps on 27 pages, plus a detailed 4-page alphabetize! I always desire to see an alphabetize with the maps and this i knocks information technology out of the park. The index uses the same font as the concordance. The maps and the index are printed on thick paper that isn't shiny (another plus in my book). These are some of the nicest maps I've seen in a reference Bible.

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Here's the full list of maps:

Jerusalem in the First Millennium BCE
Jerusalem in the Late Second Temple Menstruum
The Land of Canaan
The Setting of the Exodus and Wilderness Traditions
The Setting of the Narratives of Joshua, the Judges, Samuel, and Saul
The Setting of the Narratives of David and Solomon
The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah
The Assyrian Empire
The Farsi Empire
Judah/Yehud/Judea and Neighboring Regions in the Persian and Hellenistic Periods
The Empire of Alexander and His Successors
Kingdom of Herod and His Successors
Judea and Its Neighbors in the 1st Century CE
Places Mentioned in the NT
The Roman Empire
The Setting of Early on Christian Missions

Ribbons

There are three Berisford navy ribbons. These ribbons are some of the virtually elegant ribbons I've seen in a Bible. They're broad, which I prefer, and the feel silky to the touch. They're very long – enough to pull them to the corner and all the same have plenty of material to agree on to. The navy blue looks amazing against the blue encompass and blueish under silverish art-gilting. The ribbons naturally bending toward the bottom outer corner of the folio.

3 ribbons are amazing, but I got spoiled with having four ribbons in the Schuyler KJV, so now I always promise for 4 ribbons. I tin alive with 3, but four is better. I would as well like for each one to be a different shade of blueish.

Using the Schuyler ESV Quentel

Comport

This is a large and heavy Bible. If you're used to conveying around something the size of a study Bible then carrying this one volition exist fine considering it is no different. I'm used to carrying broad margin editions, so I have no issues with conveying it to Church. On shorter trips I like carrying smaller, mitt-sized Bibles, only I had no bug carrying information technology.

Reading

Reading from this is amazing. The layout, impress quality, line-matching, and opacity of the paper make for a fun reading feel. It lays open on its ain with no trouble. Due to its size, I did most of my reading with the Quentel either sitting in my lap or on the table, although I did hold it in my hands and read while walking around. This Bible makes me want to read it. When I did agree information technology I noticed that I used both hands most of the time. This had as much to exercise with size as it did weight. That'south typical for me for a Bible this size.

Study

With the all-encompassing cantankerous-references, translation notes, cyclopedia, and maps, there are a lot of tools to practice your own report. These are the types of tools that I prefer (rather than commentary). These resources get in a good Bible for personal study and sermon prep.

Highlighting

The 38gsm newspaper feels just like the paper found in Cambridge broad margin Bibles. This means information technology's writable. There is a little bit of space in the margins (3/viii") if you want to write something. You can too write in the blank space at the cease of books. I oasis't written in it, but I would think I could use my Pigma Microns and PrismaColor pencils on this paper with no trouble.

Tips on Marking

If you do decide to marking in your Schuyler ESV Quentel, I recommend using Pigma Micron markers and PrismaColor pencils. These are my favorite marking tools. Of grade yous can utilise dry highlighters also. Just make sure you purchase highlighters that are made for writing in Bibles. Always test your pens, pencils, and highlighters out on a lesser important page before mark inside the Biblical text to make certain they won't case bug in your Bible.

One fashion you can use color is to develop your own colour code. Here's an example of a color code for topical study:

Regal – God
Red – Salvation
Green – Personal Growth
Blue – Second Coming
Yellow – Promises

For the bodily mark, you could underline the verse and highlight over the keywords (this is my current method using a color code with 20 colors). Other options are to highlight over the verse, underline the poetry, draw a box around the verse, depict a line down the side of the poetry, or just draw a box in the margin and use colors to bespeak what you lot want them to be.

Whichever method y'all apply, I recommend using one of the thick pages in the front to create a key to your markings. This manner you or someone else tin can pick up your Bible and know what all the colors and symbols represent.

Preaching

It fits on the pulpit perfectly. The font is easy to read from by glancing down instead of having to hold the Bible close to my eyes. The pages are easy to turn. Verses are fairly like shooting fish in a barrel to observe due to the size of the verse numbers. Verses in paragraph format always takes me longer to notice, but these were faster than most. The range of capacity are shown in the page corners. These aid in finding the verses, just I usually like to have the verses included along with the chapters. My guess is they wanted to proceed it as clean as possible – and it does await make clean and great.

This is a great preaching Bible and it looks at habitation on the pulpit. If you like to comport your Bible while you preach or teach from it, but imagine doing this with a 3lb study Bible and y'all'll take an idea if this ane would piece of work for you. You lot can use the blank portion at the end of books for sermon outlines, lists, points, etc. Since this is such an amazing pulpit Bible, I would love to see a few more pages in the back for notes. Even better – place them betwixt the testaments.

Didactics

Teaching is ofttimes a lot like giving a presentation in Powerpoint. It helps to have images, notes, bullet-points, and keywords. Study Bibles and wide margin Bibles can be great for this. The Quentel doesn't accept much margin space, but you can use color-coding and the empty space at the end of books. At that place is plenty margin space to write a symbol or pocket-size reference if you lot need to create a concatenation. I mostly utilize other materials for teaching from, such as pamphlets and notebooks, and but use the Quentel to read the Scriptures from. For that the Quentel is fantabulous. The Quentel is splendid for developing the Scripture portion of the teaching materials due to the vast number of references, footnotes, concordance, and maps.

Decision

The goal of the Schuyler Quentel was to place elegance and beauty higher up size and price, and in the Quentel this really shows. The Schuyler ESV Quentel lives upward to my expectations for a premium Bible. Everything well-nigh this Bible shines. It is well-baked, clean, abrupt, and a joy to read. Information technology makes me want to pick it up and spend the mean solar day with it. I honey reading information technology and studying from it. My favorite attributes are the paper, print, and layout. If I could alter 1 thing I would similar four ribbons that are dissimilar colors. If I could add anything it would exist a few pages for notes.

This is an expensive Bible, but it's non just expensive for the sake of being expensive. Every attribute of the Quentel is made to give you the best reading experience. The paper and print lone make me want to read it. The tools ensure that I will get a corking study and sermon prep experience. The cover and binding will ensure that information technology lasts me a lifetime. I'm drawn to information technology. It makes me want to pick it upwardly and read information technology. Every reading experience should exist this skilful. It is well-designed and well-fabricated.

If you're looking for a large impress premium ESV, the Schuyler ESV Quentel is my number one choice. I can't think of a unmarried thwarting with this Bible. Now I can't wait for the NKJV and KJV editions to be produced. I will be buying them both when they're released and the KJV edition will be "my" Bible.

Bottom Line

The Schuyler ESV Quentel is a luxury edition that places quality above toll, and its elegant blueprint and quality materials make it worth every penny.

Comparisons

Here are some comparison photos. From the lesser up: ESV Study Bible, Schuyler ESV Quentel, Schuyler NKJV, Schuyler KJV, and ESV Cambridge Blaring. The comparisons are in that order.