Belly band vs Cancan Holsters

[Ladyhay]

Has anyone seen the cancan holster? [url="http://www.cancanconcealment.com"]http://www.cancanconcealment.com[/url] I ordered one and I ordered the wrong holster. I ordered the big she bang- which is the 6" but my gun (shield) shifts more than I like in it. I am on the fence about returning it for the 5", keeping it and ordering the five and returning whichever after I get, or just saying forget it and trying the belly band. I have an alien gear on order...it's about 5-6 weeks out though. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Edited June 27, 2014 by Ladyhay

[Ugly]

The old holster quandary.
I would get the belly band too, then a new gun to fit the bigger holster since you've got it :)
The alien is great but if you have a smaller waist it might not fit all that well. They are priced right and you can't beat the value though. Good luck on finding the best fit!

The can can line looks pretty darn sweet too! Edited June 27, 2014 by Ugly

[A.J. Holst]

Like most of you will probably end up with the box o' holsters until you find the ONE (or two)

It's been my experience IWB is such a personal choice based on body shape and attire that what works may not work. Crossbreed is very popular here on TGO, yet I don't find them comfortable preferring N82 tactical.

I have also learned holsters with full sweat shields are a compromise; they can impede getting a good/proper grip when drawing

[Cherokee Slim]

My wife has gone through 4 holsters and 2 carry purses trying to find something she likes for her DB9.  Most of the time she just puts it in her front pocket.  She quit griping about me bring home a new gun decades ago so I don't say anything about her holsters.  Like most shootists I have  a large drawer full of holsters.  Seems like the best thing to do is just keep experimenting to find what is just right for you.  Body type and clothing style will figure into how you will carry.  Think of holsters like shoes, you never have enough or exactly what you want.  I say that with total humility, having experience with one wife (45 years) 2 daughters and three granddaughters who are teenagers.

Cherokee Slim

[peejman]

My wife has a Pistol Wear belly band.  She says it's very comfortable but concealment isn't quite as good as she'd hoped.  Seems to work best when worn pretty low. 

[wileecoyote]

I have been working with and carrying guns for more than 30 years. I have owned, carried, and inspected several hundred holsters. My personal holster collection is north of 100 items, including some that I have made or customized. I have carried in many states and in nearly all climates, with just about every dress style, event type, and gun combination possible. What I have learned from all of this regarding holsters can be summed up in only 3 words: NO FREE LUNCH

 

Everyone wants the impossible: a holster that makes the gun totally disappear and weigh absolutely nothing, while also making it quickly and easily available when needed, and yet secure enough that it cannot be taken or will not work loose during aggressive body movements, and as comfortable as their own skin. And of course they want it to be low cost, long lasting, and available in every color and size choice they can dream up. Well the facts are that no such holster ever existed, nor will it ever exist. Carrying any gun is at best a minor inconvenience which you learn to live with or workaround over time, and at worst a heavy burden which can physically injure or kill you or others if not done properly. So I don't normally pay much attention to new holster makers, models, or advertisements claiming that they have found the holy grail... it just isn't going to happen. Sure, some new materials or design concepts will emerge every few years, but the facts remain the same... NO FREE LUNCH

 

Having said all of that, I found myself walking the aisles at the last Murfreesboro gun show and I was waiting to meet someone. Out of sheer boredom I eavesdropped on a guy trying to sell his new holster product, a belly band style holster. I snickered a little to myself, knowing full well the many downfalls of all the usual belly band products, considering that I must own at least 20 of those from various makers and have tried even more over the years. Most people weren't giving this guy the time of day, and he was not selling much or any product as far as I could tell. When he ran out of people to pitch to, he saw me waiting nearby and he started in on his pitch again. I politely conveyed my lack of interest and he stopped. I was walking away to wait somewhere else when he said something that made me stop a minute. He said he was not a gun guy, and in fact he had spent all of his career in the medical field designing and making devices for disabled folks that have to sit for long periods in wheel chairs, and he only recently started to carry a gun when he realized that the medical designs and materials might be able to help on the holster side. So he designed his own holster not from a gun perspective, but from a medical perspective, seeking first to have something that would be comfortable, fit well, and hold up under load for long periods. I also have some experience with medical devices and needs so I was familiar the design concepts he mentioned, and this made me curious enough to go back to his table and take a look.

 

I ended up buying one of his belly band holsters, mostly out of curiosity because it did look and feel different than all the others I had seen, but even while I was paying I fully expected to take it home, try it for a few days, and toss it in the small room which houses my holster collection. Yes, I have a holster room, not a box or closet. Well I did try it on twice and inserted a few guns but then I got distracted by other projects so I tossed it on the kitchen table and ignored it for a week or so. Then one day I had to run out quick for some errands and I didn't have time to change or "gear up" as I normally might. It was 90+ degrees and humid (typical TN summer), and I was wearing gym shorts and a tshirt, no belt. So I saw the belly band and figured why not give it a try... I slipped it on and dropped in my Kahr CM9 then headed out the door. Without describing my day in detail, suffice to say that I was quite amazed at how well this holster worked and how comfortable it was despite the heat and my physical activities which included bending, stooping, sitting, standing, and helping to load a few big boxes into my truck bed. And a lot of sweating. I never "forgot" that I was carrying it, that is total BS if anyone ever tells you that about any gun and holster, but I was continuously impressed with how comfortable, cool, and stable the holster was despite the weight of the gun and lack of any other support from my loose clothing, And the gun remained dry, never once chaffing my skin, and somehow avoiding the beads of sweat that soaked my clothing during the strenuous parts.

 

So I was still skeptical but I was intrigued enough to wear the holster at least a dozen more times over the next few weeks, under numerous circumstances and with different clothing types. I even tried locating it in different positions and with different guns. My favorite concealment gun for the hot TN summer days is the Ruger LCP with CT laser, and it is a match made in heaven for this holster, being even thinner and lighter than my CM9 yet very reliable. Now I am not advertising his product so I am not going to go into all the features and benefits, I will simply say that this is probably the best PRACTICAL concealment holster that I have found for my needs to-date. While it is very good, and I plan to get a few more of these for my family and friends soon, there is still NO FREE LUNCH. When concealing any gun there is always a slight bulge under your clothing, which is only "invisible" if your clothing is very loose and long, and this holster is no different. Like many older guys I have a bit of a beer gut around the middle, so this aggravates the problem with even small protrusions of the grip or heel of the gun printing through the light tshirts and shorts which are common in this southern heat. Yet it did the best job of any holster I have seen at concealing the gun as much as possible under those conditions, by holding it tight to my body without the need for an undershirt or extended layer to separate my body from the gun. I was able to minimize the printing by wearing the gun low around the waist line, something which was not possible with other holsters that would simply fall down as you walked, but this holster kept it right in place all day long. Another noticeable drawback I have for this holster is that the outside of the material is quite smooth, almost silky, so anything you wear over the holster tends not to grip on the holster. This may be a good thing for some folks that want their clothing to ride loosely and freely on top of the gear, to avoid printing or showing by allowing your shirt to ride up, but in my case I often wear loose gym shorts without a belt so those tend to slip down more easily when I am wearing this holster, thus I have to tighten the drawstring a bit which can aggravate the printing issue if tightened too much. So I may suggest that he consider applying a thin pattern of "gripper dots" on the outside of the holster, possibly made of neoprene or silicone or a similar material, so that it won't make it any thicker or too "grabby" yet it will allow clothing (primarily your pants or shorts) to stay in place without needing a belt or tight drawstring. Women (or guys) wearing this across the chest area or high on the waist may not have this problem.

 

If you are looking for a belly band style concealment holster, I recommend trying one of his products out. if you don't like it, PM me and I will buy it from you (at a small discount of course). :) He also makes a few other products but he did not have those at the show and I have not tried them, so I cannot comment on those. Here is the link to the holster that I picked up: http://www.telortactical.com/products/comfort-air-bodyband-holster

Edited June 29, 2014 by wileecoyote

[Ladyhay]

Willee I thouraghly enjoyed your response and very much appreciate it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Dustbuster]

This thread made me happy, I don't feel bad knowing there's others with piles of holsters and gun condoms sitting, probably more than what i have.....My name is DB and I'm a recovering holsterholic, from rack crackin kydex to tagua to uncle mike and safari land, Im guilty as hell. Thanks! Now im addicted to shotshell rigs...

[MrsMonkeyMan2500]

I had horrible expierence with my SheBang from Cancan! I'm so glad Wilee posted about his, I might give it a shot. 

Working from home I have the luxury of not having to worry about what I wear. Standard day to day is Athletic pants, tank top and flip flops. The SheBang was so uncomfortable and it rose up, reminded me more of those stupid waist trainers than anything else. I got fed up, ordered an alien gear belt and despite not having belt loops, I still wear the belt and carry appendix IWB. It works great. My husband laughs at me because it's a bit ridiculous looking but I'm comfy and I can easily get to my 29 when need be. I'm going to try Wilee's recommendation to give a different product a chance but I would NOT recommend Cancan Concealment. Especially for the price!