Gord:---I read your post twice and I respectfully disagree with your opinion of the Cambridge Bibles. They are the best made with the best materials. I worked in 2 christian book stores and have shopped/browsed in many others over the years, and frankly Zondervan is not good quality---(much of their stuff is glued together) , their font/print/ink color is crummy,,,but why not ? After all they put forth the "Not Inspired Version"---If a publishing house has such a low view of scripture , it stands to reason that they would have an inferior product!
I'd suggest that you go to the Cambridge Bible Press website and look at it and/or request their catalog which shows them making/printing/binding the Cambridge and T.B.S. Bibles. They use from the very best: Goatskin, then Calfskin, then cowhide-(genuine leather), French Morrocan-(sheepskin, then Bonded Leather-(which is at least 90% leather fibres with some resin), then Hardbacks and a couple of paperbacks-?. They stitch with an awl and thread. Their print/ink/fonts are very good. Both they and T.B.S. have either "Reference Bibles" with cross-references usually in the center column of the page, or they have plain Text editions with only the the text of the Scripture. They use very good paper, in about 2 or 3 different grades/levels.
http://www.cambridge.org/uk/bibles/