A Review of a Rebind from Hill Bible Binding

One area of the premium Bible world that needs more attention is rebinds. Rebinds are amazing because they can give old Bibles new life or they can let you take a favorite Bible and customize it’s design. The sky can truly be the limit with a Bible rebind. Today I’m excited to feature a review of a rebind from Becky Hill at Hill Bible Binding. I had always been impressed with Becky’s work so I knew I wanted to see it up close for myself.

I sent Hill Bible a red calfskin Cambridge Topaz and asked it to be rebound in green goatskin with a full yapp, spine hubs, gold perimeter stitching, gold bookmarks, and a black liner. Hill Bible did great work. When I pulled the Bible out after receiving it back, I wasn’t disappointed—and honestly—the more time I spend with this rebind, the more I like it.

Working with Hill Bible was easy and quick. She kept me informed during the process and she had a very quick turn around time. She responded quickly with questions I had regarding materials and was really a joy in her customer service.

Outside Materials and Construction

When I received my rebind in the mail, it was wrapped with cling wrap to keep the yapp trained as it traveled. Hill used a green highland goatskin that reminds me of what you’d see on an Allan. It’s flexible and the grain pattern is beautiful. The full yapp trains well and adds such a great look to the Topaz.

Becky used three gold ribbons that are nice and long. They are double sided satin and they feel great. I love Becky’s choice on the width of these ribbons. Normally I like a wider ribbon, but these really compliment the size of the Topaz nicely.

Her tooling on the spine ribs looks great. I think one of the ribs may sit slightly crooked, but if I’m honest it really doesn’t bother me. One thing I notice a little more is the stamping on the spine. The spine is stamped with “HOLY BIBLE”, “ESV”, and the Hill Bible logo (which I love). However, it seems the “ESV” is just a little off center and to the right. Once again, not a deal breaker for me, but I do notice it.

Inside Materials and Construction

Inside I immediately notice that Becky’s corner work is amazing! People can be highly critical of corners and hers look better than anything I’ve seen coming from a publisher. Good corner work is truly a work of art.

She used a black lamb skin liner inside that feels so soft and velvety. I hadn’t felt lamb skin before, but it feels really really nice. I just want to run my fingers over it all the time. She also used black end sheets, which look great with the liner.

Hill Bible does something with their Bibles that I had never seen before. It has to do with how they attach the block to the cover. I noticed a horizontal slit in the top and bottom of the liner about an inch from the top and bottom of the Bible in both the front and back. This is the attachment point. I reached out to ask Hill about this as I was concerned about the durability of the Bible over time.

I was told that this is their usual binding process. She assured me she had never had one come apart or a customer come back with a complaint. She said, “It’s just how I cut my liner so the liner goes down a little further when you look through the hollow of the spine.” She even assured me that her 9 year old son had put one through it’s paces and it wasn’t even phased. Unfortunately, I don’t find this method aesthetically pleasing, but I am glad to know it will hold up over time.

I was told by several people that Bibles should be able to be held like this if they are durable. My Hill Bible rebind passed the test.

Pricing

One last thing that I think is great about Hill Bible is their pricing. I think what they ask is very reasonable for what I think are great materials and quality construction. I’ve attached the price list below.

Conclusion

If you’re new to the world of rebinds, I think Hill Bible Binding could be a great place to start for price to quality value. You’ll get a quick turn around and great customer service. I look forward to putting a lot of wear on my Topaz rebind.

Make sure to head over to Hill Bible Binding’s Facebook page to see more of their work and contact them for your rebind!