02Materials· 9 min read
Thinner than a human hair: the extraordinary engineering of Bible paper
Three quarters of a million words in a single portable volume. The secret is the paper.
The Craft — A journalHow a Bible
How a Bible
is made.
A magazine about paper, ink, leather and thread. About objects designed to be opened every day for fifty years — and still feel better at the end of it.
01Featured · A reader's guide
Why it opens flat: how to spot a well-made Bible
Five things you can check in thirty seconds. No expertise required.
Read the essay 6 min read
The full collection.
10 essays · published fortnightly
03Construction· 11 min read
Sewn, not glued: the art of Bible binding
A glued spine cannot survive twenty years of daily use. Here's what does — and why.
04Typography· 12 min read
From Gutenberg to Garamond: how typography shaped the way we read
The Bible is the reason modern typography exists — and every typeface decision since has been shaped by it.
05Finishing· 7 min read
Red under gold: the ancient art of Bible gilding
That stripe of gold isn't just decorative. It seals, protects, and reveals.
06Heritage· 9 min read
Cambridge: four hundred years of Bible craft
Cambridge printed its first Bible in 1591 — twenty years before the King James existed.
07Design· 10 min read
The Bible as beautiful object: a design revolution
How a single Kickstarter changed what people expect a Bible to look and feel like.
08Materials· 7 min read
Where Bible leather comes from
The goat's life is written into the cover. Scratches, scars and all.
09The small details· 5 min read
Ribbons, hubs and head bands
A love letter to the finishing touches that turn a book into an heirloom.
10Gift guide· 8 min read
A gift that lasts: how to choose a Bible for someone else
Christenings, weddings, milestone birthdays — choosing well matters.