Stratford Books & Grandin Artisans' 

LEATHER 1830 BOOK OF MORMON REPLICA


The ONLY Leather Bound replica -- like the original First Edition, which was also leather 

-- but it's far more than that: 


This is the only replica with the ORIGINAL COLOR of the COVER


And 50 features highly accurate to the original, as described by experts . . .


“The Rolls Royce of replicas.”

-Steve Rasmussen, Book Conservator (restorer of numerous 1830 originals)


“The only one with the right color, paper, thickness, weight – everything.”

-Steve Blake, Utah Book Artisan and Craftsman


“The only replica with 50 authentic, accurate features.”

- Richard Lloyd Dewey, Historian


Master book-binder Ethan Ensign of Scrub Oak Bindery endorses this as the best-made mass-produced 1830 replica. He has restored over 50 copies of the original 1830 edition.


NOTE ABOUT ON-LINE REPLICAS: Many of the 1830 replicas for sale online are actually "out-of-date" editions of ours. We have 6 editions published between 2006-2020, with different promotional jackets and various-colored leathers -- from dark yellow to dark brown -- all selling between $29.95 and $38.95 when released. Each was the best on the market at the time, but each has seen improvements made since, more than just the leather. For the very best, you'll want our LATEST edition – this one.)


What's the story behind this replica?


To launch it, our researchers “dissected” five 1830 originals, using a digital micrometer and high-end scale to measure everything to within 1 gram and 20/100,000th of an inch. Then we sought out the most authentic materials available, and coupled it with the most accurate construction, described below by Steve Rasmussen, restorer of numerous antique books including First Editions of the Book of Mormon. . . .

  •     LEATHER COVER –  No other mass-produced 1830 replica uses leather. (Some replicas claim to, but when tested by a third party -- Steve Blake Productions -- their covers all prove to be 100% FAUX leather (plastic) – bubbling under high temperature). One other replica had leather -- but is now out of print and has been for 43 years -- the Sesquicentennial edition of the 1830 replica from Deseret Book. It had some nice features (4 of the 11 most important ones), but its leather was quite inaccurate compared to the original 1830 Edition. (For example, that Sesquicentennial edition had its leather cover PAINTED mustard yellow; whereas this Stratford edition is the natural color of the original leather, just as it was in 1830, with no dyes or paints.) Additionally, the Sesquicentennial edition LACKS 7 of these 11 IMPORTANT FEATURES listed here, whereas this Stratford edition has them all.


•      THE ONLY ACCURATE COLOR OF COVER WHEN PUBLISHED IN 1830 - unfortunately, the dark covers seen on other replicas represent what the first edition now looks like, after two centuries of aging 


               *      MOST AUTHENTIC ARTWORK ON SPINE - The only replica with correct lettering size, spacing and correct gold lines, plus the most accurate shade of gold

•      STITCHED BINDING – Pages are sewn, not just glued like most replicas

•      DIGITIZED TEXT - The pages of this have been digitally reproduced at actual size and print quality from the First Edition. "This replica has the ORIGINAL 'headers' on every page – not all replicas do," states Rasmussen.

•      ALL TEXT PROPERLY POSITIONED – “Not all replicas position every page correctly; but this one does.” 

•      The ONLY replica with CORRECT NUMBER of “end sheets” (blank pages in front and back)


•      MOST ACCURATE WEIGHT - Some replicas are too heavy, some too light; this one is closest to the original


•      MOST ACCURATE PAPER TEXTURE – The only paper not too smooth or rough 


•      MOST ACCURATE PAPER THICKNESS - “So accurate that the entire 592-page 'text block' is within 1/300th of an inch of the original.” 

•      MOST ACCURATE PAPER QUALITY -  “This replica uses the highest quality, closest paper to the original. (Most other replicas use much cheaper paper with short fibers and acid-producing lignan that will cause the paper to turn yellow and brittle in a few years.) By contrast, this paper is acid-free, made of fine, long fibers from the Kraft process – it is wood-based and comes closest to the original cotton-based paper that had similar, albeit longer fibers. It also comes closest to the 1830 edition's paper pH and opacity. Further, it's by far the most correct color I've seen – a luscious cream. No other replica has paper anywhere near this close to the original," adds Rasmussen.  ("When another replica occasionally prints with acid-free paper, the texture and color is quite different than the original 1830 paper, including the paper thickness," adds craftsman Steve Blake. "This one gets it right, on all fronts.")


The cost to produce a replica this accurate -- with painstaking details for paper, stitching, and leather -- far exceeds that of typical 1830 replicas. Based on cost of production, the retail price could be nearly triple what the publisher is charging, but they wish to make it affordable.


This book is a CONVERSATION-STARTER to share at home, work, and youth groups. Show the beauty of the original 1830 edition as read by Joseph and Emma Smith, Brigham Young, Parley P. Pratt, and all the other early pioneer Saints.


Note: The book craftsmen and conservators quoted here, recommending this replica, are not associated with this replica or Stratford Books. They voluntarily provide this information as a public service.