Mission
Sola Binds’s mission is to rebind and distribute beautiful Bibles that are unusually well-made and discreetly branded.
Story
Let’s do this in first person, shall we? My name’s Martyn Chamberlin. I’m a servant of Jesus Christ, a husband, father, and software developer by day. I got into bible rebinding in January 2024 as a natural extension of my publishing business, TinyBibles.com, and since then, I have been a student of the craft. Using a mixture of books, YouTube, and a mentor on Patreon, I’ve absorbed everything I can about the process. After a couple of dozen rebinds, I started Sola Binds in 2025, dedicated to making beautiful, durable Bibles.
What’s in a name?
Sola Binds is named after the opening words of the Apostle’s Creed: “I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord.” The word Sola comes from the Latin word solus, which means “alone” or “only.” It’s a reminder that we are to worship and serve God alone and that He is our only source of truth and life. In addition to this, Sola Binds is named after the five solas of the Protestant Reformation, which stand as beacons of truth:
- Sola Scriptura — Scripture Alone
- Sola Fide — Faith Alone
- Sola Gratia — Grace Alone
- Solus Christus — Christ Alone
- Soli Deo gloria — To the Glory of God Alone
Why Sola Binds?
More and more people are getting into bible rebinding at the same time that the awareness of premium Bibles is increasing and the market expanding. This is a great thing! It means that more people are getting access to beautiful, durable Bibles. If you’re thinking about getting a premium rebind, you might be thinking, in such a crowded market, why Sola Binds? Good question! Here are some of the things we stand for, and you can take a look and decide if we’re a good fit. With Sola Binds, you get an opinionated and boutique rebind.
- Quality leather — I only use the best leathers: premium goatskin leather from Siegel Leather and premium cowhide leather from Badalassi Carlo.
- Saddle stitching — I use a stitching method called saddle stitching for the thread that runs around the perimeter of the Bible cover. We do it by hand, and it lasts much longer than machine stitching.
- Precise engineering — I have a background in engineering, and precision is a top priority. Precise measurements, precise cuts, precise stitching.
- Clean clean clean — I’m a minimalist, as you can maybe tell from this site. I don’t like clutter. I don’t like distractions. Sometimes you’re defined as much by what you don’t do as what you do. We don’t do gild lines, custom page gilding, or crazy stuff like Batman-themed rebinds (yes, those exist). If you want those things, other guys are out there (and that’s fine!).
- Discreet branding — I don’t do logos on the spine of the Bible. My jam is to just put “Holy Bible” and the translation on the spine, and call it quits. As the business grows, I’ll maybe someday add a small stamp on the inside cover. But for now, I don’t even do that. When Steve Jobs and Jony Ive designed the first iPod, they famously refused to put the Apple logo on the front of the iPod like the other MP3 players on the market. It wasn’t about them. And it’s not about me. All things being equal, a lot of people would rather have a premium product that doesn’t have a logo on it. They’re not looking for a status symbol or an opinionated cover. But at the same time, they’re afraid of insulting the rebinder by requesting it to be removed. I want to change that trend and say, it’s ok to have a premium rebind with no branding. It’s not a da Vinci painting. It’s the Word of God and I want to keep that conspicuously front-and-center. That said, for all the logo’d rebinds out there — that’s fine. I’m not judging others’ motives, just explaining where I’m coming from on my own rebinds.
Let’s rebind your Bible
Are you ready to get a premium rebound bible? Shop our collections to see what’s available, or please contact me for a custom order. I’d love to hear from you!
