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Old Faithful IWB - First Impressions

12K views 93 replies 44 participants last post by  frank 
#1 ·
Being primarily an OWB guy, I always thought the idea of sandwiching a pistol between a hunk of leather and kydex, then cramming the whole get up in my pants, sounded like it would be incredibly uncomfortable.... until today, that is. I never would have even considered purchasing a hybrid IWB rig except I received a couple pairs of jeans this past Christmas that were a little large in the waist. Instead of exchanging them, I thought, "What the heck? Let's use this as an opportunity to see what all the hoopla surrounding these hybrids is about." After shopping around and seeing Old Faithful's 30-day challenge guarantee, 50 year warranty, and price, I figured I couldn't go wrong, so I ordered the Old Faithful IWB "Quick Assemble Kit", which arrived earlier today.

Assembly of the holster was a breeze... such that there really isn't much to write about. A couple of things to note... I really liked that they included a couple of different screw and spacer lengths for attaching the kydex to the leather backing, since as the holster gets broken in, it may become necessary to switch to a shorter screw and spacer to maintain proper tension on the firearm. I also liked the idea of screwing on the kydex instead of using rivets. If I ever replace my current carry weapon, all I need to do is order another kydex shell or form one myself and screw it onto the leather... sure beats buying a whole new holster.

Now onto comfort and concealability. This rig concealed my full size M&P 9mm extremely well, and I was thoroughly impressed with the comfort when I took it for a test run. Like I said before, I was going into this fully expecting a high level of discomfort that because of, I would either have to utilize the money back guarantee or just get used to it. Even though it was the first time wearing the rig, I began to not notice it after an hour or so because it was so comfortable. I didn't even really notice it when sitting and driving. I'll even go one further and say it was more comfortable than my OWB rigs due to not having to cinch my belt down quite as tight to keep the pistol pulled in nice and close. Being that comfortable on the first day, I can only imagine it will just get better with time. Of course, YMMV.

The only complaint I have with the holster is purely cosmetic. One their website and in several video reviews I have seen on the holster, the company logo is heavily stamped into the leather backing. On the one I received, the logo is lightly stamped and colored in. This isn't too much of an issue actually since it will rarely, if ever, be seen, but it does look a little cheesy. The coloring also came off onto the polymer of my pistol as evidenced in the photo below showing a bit of the coloring having been rubbed off of the logo. I would have preferred the heavily stamped logo with no coloring, but if this is the only thing I have to complain about with this holster, I can live with it.

Handgun holster Gun accessory


Sorry this is so long.... I definitely didn't intend to write a book here, so I'll wrap this up now. All in all, I think this holster is going to be a great addition to my carry repertoire. I'll still carry OWB from time to time, but it will be nice to have this around when better concealment is needed. I guess I should thank my mother for gifting me the wrong size pants and inadvertently introducing me to a new mode of carry.
 
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#2 ·
Glad to hear! It takes a bit of getting use to carrying IWB, but before you know it, you won't even notice it's there.
 
#5 ·
Thanks for this post. I was interested in ordering two of their holster but the ones where you mold the kydex yourself (just for a new activity) but couldn't find much on them or about comfort.

I think this seals the deal for me.
 
#6 ·
No problem. Glad it was actually able to help someone. As far as comfort goes, I don't really think you can go wrong. If you find it's not as comfortable as you would like within 30 days of receiving it, their guarantee is to refund your money AND let you keep the holster.
 
#9 ·
ive been thinking about one of these hybrid IWB, how much did it increase the waist size in your jeans?, I like jeans that fit me, not the baggy, hang off yer ass jeans (technical term) and i dont want to have to size up too much to where i couldnt wear them without carrying. currently i wear a 33.5w and a 33inseam.. i carry a full size P220, and while it rides nice on the hip, sometimes concealment is a little more prudent.
 
#13 ·
I am sort of in between sizes. I normally wear a 36 waist measurement, and those are just a little loose on me (34's "fit" but are a little too snug for my liking). I tried the holster with my size 36 pants, and while everything fit in there ok, it made the waist of the pants a little too tight for comfort. The 38s I was given are a little loose even with the holster inserted, but my belt takes care of that quite well. As to wearing them without carrying... I've worn them a couple of times without carrying, and as long as I'm wearing a belt, I have no issues with them hanging anywhere but around my waist.
 
#10 ·
It's great to hear another satisfied user. I've been carrying my full-size 9mm in an Old Faithful IWB for about six months. I use it every day (except for once a week when I use my DeSantis paddle) and even my family can't tell I'm carrying. And it is very comfortable, especially after a few days of breaking it in. I highly recommend this hybrid holster...you can't beat it for quality and price.
 
#15 ·
Does anyone else find the t-screws uncomfortable on the back side of the holster? I just got mine a few days ago and have been wearing it around the house while I wait for the cpl to show up... Also if anyone is looking to order I used the promo code guntalk for 20% off.
 
#20 ·
I don't notice them, actually. Did you hammer them in all the way so they are flush with the back and protrude from the front of the piece of leather a bit? If so, and you still find them uncomfortable, I saw where one guy attached thin strips of felt (or some other similar material) to the back of the holster to cover them. Seemed to work pretty well for him.
 
#21 ·
The reason I prefer the Old Faithful is that the shell has screws and not rivets like the supertuck. So you could change the shell for another firearm or tighten or loosen it.
But overall its the same style design which I prefer.
 
#26 ·
Mine is too wide for me, and too difficult to put on. It feels like I'm putting on another belt. In addition, I am not fond of the retainer clips. I have another brand of holster which is narrower, easier to put on, and has more secure retainer clips.
 
#27 ·
I talked to Old Faithful yesterday... They are at 2-3 weeks per order. I've heard crossbreed is 6-8 weeks. Of course it varies order to order but crossbreed is definitely taking a good bit longer to get stuff out the door.
 
#28 ·
I just got my Old Faithful about a week ago. Still waiting on my gunbelt from Bullhide, so I can't comment on the comfort factor. I do want to mention two things which may help others with their decision.

First of all, my Old Faithful did have a heavily embossed emblem in the outside of the leather, but it was not colored. I got a black holster and the emblem is part of the same dye.

I did not follow Old Faithful's advice to use a mallet to drive in the special purpose screw thingys. Instead, I used my workbench vice. I positioned the extra piece of leather they provided with a hole in it, in front of the holster and cinched the whole thing down. It was nice and smooth and didn't result in any scaring, which probably happens when some people's hammer swing isn't quite on target.

As for quality, the leather is thick and soft (I got the standard cowhide) and the Kydex is thicker than normal. It should hold up to continuous wear.

Now I'm getting ready to buy a couple of IWB mag holders from them.
 
#32 ·
I'm a fan of Old Faithful, just received my appendix carry version (AIWB) for my Glock27.

I did a write-up in December comparing their IWB to the Theis. Both are excellent holsters and my main point of this post was to say that different people will like different holsters based on body shape, etc.

http://www.defensivecarry.com/forum...rry-options/154748-theis-vs-old-faithful.html

Good luck as you experiment and try various holsters.
 
#33 ·
Learning by Lurking!

:danceban:I have to thank you for this thread and all the replies. Been lookin' at CrossBreed, FoxX, and others, you made my decision for me. I'm gonna order from Old Faithful after I get home from my CCDW class today!

Most of the issues mentioned in this thread are addressed on Old Faithful's website by video or text article.

The fact that you assemble the kit leaves great possibility open for customizing the holster to fit your body.
Gonna try that guntalk promo, Thanks!
 
#39 ·
This is new for us, it falls into the 2 clip design but not a hybird, its all leather fully adjustable. The natural color version will be out in a few days, a bit less in price. But in no way is this one of the more common 2 clip holsters on the market. Its so much more then a leather back and a plastic holster face riveted to it. Its a class act from top to bottom.

Double Jeopardy Black


Alex

Handgun holster Gun accessory Hand Leather
 
#40 · (Edited)
Nice but not at 5-6 times the price.

This is new for us, it falls into the 2 clip design but not a hybird, its all leather fully adjustable. The natural color version will be out in a few days, a bit less in price. But in no way is this one of the more common 2 clip holsters on the market. Its so much more then a leather back and a plastic holster face riveted to it. Its a class act from top to bottom.

Double Jeopardy Black


Alex

View attachment 69556
 
#46 ·
My O/F IWB has a deeply stamped logo that is not colored in...I'm glad of that. You could probably ask them to swap it out and I bet you,a Coke that they would do it happily; they are a great company!




iPad/TapaTalk
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If you didn't vote (against Obama)...this is your fault.
 
#48 ·
Hybrid holsters like the Old Faithful, Crossbreed, MTAC Minotaur, etc have been a Godsend for concealed carry and IWB. I did a lot of shopping around 6 yrs ago when the options were much more limited than they are today, and went with the MTAC. After using it for years, this thing is VERY comfortable and the leather is holding up great. About once a year, I remove the kydex and use some saddle soap and a little mink oil on the leather to keep it clean and conditioned. One thing I appreciate about the MTAC is the leather backer that covers the bases for the screws. The Old Faithful appears to be a nice product, and you should get many years use from it.

Cheers!
 
#51 ·
The spring steel clips seem to work quite well, and they go over the belt. The design seems to allow them to slip over the belt easily. Once on the belt, the holster seems to stay securely in place. Taking the holster off is just a little more difficult though. The screws on the clips tend to catch on my belt when taking it off, but giving the clips a little wiggle helps to free them up so the holster can be pulled out. I don't mind that though. I can't imagine a holster of this type being pulled out with the pistol on the draw very easily, but it gives me a little extra peace of mind that the holster won't come out until I want it to.
 
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