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Allan Calfskin 6c on top of Allan Blackface Goatsksin.

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Allan ESV is the most popular Allan at present.  It has 3 'families.'

Family one:  Allan ESV Reader's

The Reader's is the largest of the Allan ESV's.  It has the largest font and margins as well.  It is available in Black, Brown, Tan and Crimson.  It also has a near full yapp cover to protect the pages.   At this point it only comes in the vintage Allan Highand Goatskin covers.  We have an entire page devoted to the ESV Reader's Bible

Family two:  Allan ESV Classic Reference.

This family comes in the Highland Goatskin (Black, Brown, Tan) as well as the Buffalo Grain Goatskin (Brown and Black).  The Buffalo Grain Bibles do not have many of the 'bells and whistles' of the ESV1-but are an extremely handsome and durable Bible.

Family Three: Allan ESV Personal Size Reference.

This is, of course, a 'personal size' Bible, so the legibility is no that of other standard size classic reference Bibles.  That being said, this small Bible has a wealth of info., including all of the references of the ESV1.  A great Bible for people with good eyes.

All of Allan’s King James Bibles find their origins in Oxford University book blocks. Allan is now the license holder of these editions. In reference to the Longprimer-Allan’s most popular KJV, Allan carries the Queen's exclusive Royal License.

Allan basically carries 4 ’families’ of KJV Bibles. Each ‘family’ has the exact same book block (paper, typeface, page layout, pagination, etc)-they differ in respect to color, binding material and other smaller details (art gilt edges, ribbon markers, etc)

Family One: Allan Longprimer

First, the Longprimer family is primarily a typeface, created by Oxford University Press, which is crisp, bold and is the most legible of any Allan Bible.
This is Allan’s most popular KJV Bible. It is a standard size classic reference Bible with large bold print placed on the most opaque Bible paper in the industry. It is available in Black (53) and Brown Highland Goatskin (53BR) as well as French Morocco (52).  It will eventually come in a Thumb Indexed Version (52i)- with French Morocco leather.  We have an entire page devoted to the Longprimer.

Family two: Allan Clarendon

Like the Longprimer above, the Clarendon family is a typeface, originally created by Oxford University Press.
The Brevier Clarendon and Blackface (below) families are similar in that they are both classified as ‘personal size’ Bibles. They are both extremely legible for their sizes. Please read the descriptions below for their differences. We have this family in Black (5C) and Brown Highland Goatskin (6C), a mid grain Goatskin (7C), as well as a French Morocco cover (8).  In early 2011 Allan will have a Wide Margin Clarendon Bible-which will replace the the former Oxford Wide Margin.  It will have the same pagination as the Brevier Clarendon editons.  It wil be bound in Allan's signature black and brown highland goatskin.

Family Three: Allan Brevier Blackface

Like the Clarendon family above, the Blackface family is a typeface, originally created by Oxford University Press.
The blackface is a ‘personal size’ Bible with a bold font. It is similar to the Clarendon above with small differences in details (see table below). This Bible is available in black (20) and brown (20BR) Highland Goatskin, a black French Morocco (25), as well as a Goatskin zip cover (24z)

Family Four: Allan Ruby
The Ruby (103) is the smallest Allan KJV available. We only stock the Highland Goatskin version. It has always been a popular Bible.

New International Version (NIV)

Allan currently binds a standard classic cross reference NIV book block in both its vintage highland goatskin and the unique buffalo grain goatskin binding.

to be published in Sept. 2010-therefore some information is currently unavailable. The first printing will be available in both dark brown and black Highland Goatskin. This is the first NASB bound by Allan. The Side Column Reference is one of the best book blocks available. This will prove to be one of Allan’s best Bibles.

Highland Goatskin vs. Mid Grain, Calfskin, French Morocco etc. Highland Goatskin (Allan) as well as most Cambridge Goatskins are unique in that the binding is exactly what comes off the goat. The grain on the Bible is exactly the grain you would have seen on the beast. All other grains have been manipulated in some capacity, usually by pressing the skin into a mold. Thus, in some sense all other leather grain patterns are artificial. Highland Goatskin is 100% natural and therefore will sport unique and original markings. Allan and Cambridge choose the best skins, however, there will be markings that may represent a brief encounter with a barbed wire fence etc..Please note that this is in a sense proof of its authenticity and uniqueness-not a defect.

Goatskin
A beautiful and very durable top-quality, natural grain leather. Strong yet supple, it is used for the finest bindings. Traditionally known as Morocco leather.
Calfskin leather
A traditional high-quality leather used in fine bindings. It is long-lasting and its suppleness increases with use. Cambridge calfskin bindings use only top-grain leather.
French Morocco leather
Leather taken from a split calfskin, slightly thinner than other grades and therefore flexible and soft even when new. A French Morocco binding offers high-quality real leather at an economical price.
Berkshire leather
A term for pigskin — the material most commonly used in bookbinding when 'genuine leather' is the description used.
Art-gilt edges
A decorative finish to the page edges in which a red dye and gilt foil combine to add richness and lustre to the finished volume.

Yapp/Semi Yapp

A bookbinding having soft edges that project beyond and fold over the edges of the pages to protect them. Many of the R.L. Allan Bibles have either full Yapp or semi Yapp edges.
Bible paper
Thicker than India paper, but still much thinner than common book papers.
Gilt edges
A decorative finishing style in which a gold-coloured metallic foil is applied to the edges of the pages after they have been cut and rubbed smooth. Silver foil is often applied to the page edges of volumes bound in white. See also art-gilt edges.
Gilt line
A plain gold line or 'frame' on the inside covers.
India paper
The paper traditionally used for the best quality Bibles. The name is now generally used for papers that weigh less than 30 grammes per square metre ('20lb' paper in the USA.)
Reference Edition
A Bible that includes cross-references to guide the reader to other parts of the Bible where similar subjects are treated. Footnotes also give variant readings of the text. Reference editions often include a concordance, maps and other study material.
Text Edition
A Bible in which the text only is provided, without cross-references.
Thumb Index
Thumb indexed editions have semi-circular cuts made by hand in the outer margins of the pages. The abbreviated names of the books of the Bible are stamped on small tabs, which are firmly glued on to the first page of the individual books, to enable the reader to find the page quickly.
Pronunciation marks
Some Bible texts incorporate a phonetic system for indicating the way difficult names should be pronounced, showing the vowel sounds and stressed syllables, as in a dictionary. These volumes are sometimes called 'self-pronouncing'.

Overcasting

The technical word is 'overcasting' for the extra line of vertical stitching which is inserted at the middle of the first section and sometimes the middle of the last section to add strength to the binding. A sign of expert binding. This process used to be standard for Cambridge Bibles, however, it used almost exclusively with Allan Bibles. Please do not mistake this for a defect. Here is a picture.

Smyth Sewn Binding

Smyth Sewn (also known as Section Sewn) book bindings are the highest quality book binding available on the market today. It is the hallmark of library quality, archival safe books because the pages are physically sewn into the book using binders thread and further reinforced with fabric backing and adhesive to create the most usable and durable books available. Look closely at the binding where the pages meet the spine and you can see the folds of the page signatures. Open the book to the middle of a signature and you may be able to see the binding thread stitches. Smyth Sewn bindings use thread to sew through folded signatures of a book. Signatures are made by printing on large sheets and then folding into groups of pages, usually 16 or 24 at a time. Each signature is sewn individually with threads going through each page several times. The threads are then tied off. All of the signatures are likewise attached together with thread creating what is called the book block. The book block is further strengthened using flannel and adhesive on the spine.