I learned about Humble Lamb from a Tim Wildsmith video review of one of their Bibles, and was intrigued. I had a Bible rebound in 2022 in pullup cowhide with a lambskin liner, and was very pleased with the result, but it started me looking at new premium Bibles. I was aware of other premium publishers, and was looking at buying a new Bible from one of them when I came across Tim's video. I was intrigued by the truly unique look and features of their Bibles, and decided to give one of them a shot.
I decided on the NKJV Shepherd in Aspen Gold (yellow, if you're just a common man like me). I received it four days after ordering, and was immediately pleased with the packaging- the shipping box had their own tape on it, resembling the illustrations in their Bibles, to secure the box. There was also sufficient bubble packaging to protect the Bible. But this was nothing compared to the box and Bible inside.
BOX: The box is sturdy and durable, and very attractive, matching the design and theme of the Bible- I definitely plan on keeping it. It also came with a small card with a note from the publisher. Additionally, the Bible itself was bound vertically and diagonally with a stiff black paper resembling cardboard.
COVER: The Bible was exactly as displayed and advertised; high-quality goatskin for the cover and liner (nothing like the smell of a new Bible!), the cover composed of a single piece of high quality goatskin. The Smyth-sewn binding is top-quality: the Bible easily lays open flat from the very start. The stitching and stamping of the leather look fantastic. The full yapp is a great feature, and the whole cover is soft and pliable. The bold yelllow color is very eye-catching- little chance of misplacing this Bible- and looks great with the dark blue liner and three ribbons.
PAGES: 32 gsm paper, and all of the pages were in perfect, uncreased condition upon arrival. The page design is beautiful, making it very easy and pleasant to read. This is a Bible to sit with and luxuriate in the Scriptures. The line-matching, along with the paper thickness, helps to ensure that ghosting (print from the other side of the page showing through) is minimal and undistracting. In fact the mission of the whole design, including the single-column text, seems to be to minimize distraction from focusing on the words themselves. There's a minimal cross-reference system as well, and a concordance at the end. The font size is large enough to allow for very comfortable reading. The chapter numbers are in blue, along with Jesus' words, which is a nice departure from the traditional red.
There are 66 illustrations in the Bible from 19th century artist Gustave Doré, along with the art on the fore-edge gilt. The entire presentation makes for a focused, peaceful reading experience.
SUMMARY: There are several premium Bible manufacturers who make excellent Bibles, but Humble Lamb is truly unique. There is no other Bible which looks quite like this- it definitely grabs people's attention. You can tell by holding the Bible it is high-quality, and has further enhanced my eagerness to get into the Scripture. I recommend giving a Humble Lamb Bible a shot- I couldn't be happier with my purchase.