Two KJVs from the Folio Society

If you're one of those people looking to commemmorate the 400th anniversary of the King James Version in a big way ... I mean, a really big way, then the Folio Society has something for you:

According to the website description: "This two-volume edition is bound in full goatskin leather, blocked with calligraphy by Stephen Raw. With gilded page edges, double ribbon markers and presented in a wooden slipcase lined with moiré silk, this is an edition to be read and handed down for generations." The list price is a mere $975.

I haven't handled one up close, but judging from the photos, this looks like a splendid edition. It follows David Norton's restored 1611 text and in the glimpse provided above appears to be typographically opulent. If your reverence for the KJV isn't enough to justify laying out a thousand dollars -- or if your budget doesn't seem to think reverence has anything to do with it, the Folio Society offers a more economical edition, too:

This one is bound in two shades of book cloth and is listed at $150. The description sounds good: "Single column formatting makes the most of the typography, and the text is carefully set into paragraphs to make it easy to read. For this exclusive Folio edition a larger than usual format and thicker paper have been used. The result is a superbly clear presentation of the Bible that remains unchallenged for its beauty and power." No interior shots are provided, so it's hard to judge how thick the thicker paper really is. Still, it's nice to hear. 

While I don't have either of these editions, I do have shelves full of Folio Society volumes. They're well made books with an old school, decorative ethos. If you're looking for a show-stopping gift to give this Christmas to the Jacobophile in your life, either of these would fit the bill.