As my title says, I don't wear a belt. I'm built for suspenders and wearing a belt along with the suspenders just seems, well, odd. I have done it, but prefer not to.

So the problem I'm having is choosing a proper clip for use on an IWB holster that will really get a good grip on the waistband of my pants.

Can someone offer me some insight on what kind of clip I should be looking for and possibly a holster manufacturer that uses that clip on their IWB's.

The arm that I will be carrying in it is my Sig P6 same as P225. Right now I carry with an Uncle Mikes nylon with velcro thumb break. The clip is sufficient if I get the thumb break straps clear, but that is not always a smooth operation.

I need a good quality holster that doesn't require a thumb break to safely retain the gun. There are a lot of them out there but I don't know what clip to request it with.

Any help is appreciated.
Thanks,
J.C.

FIST holsters in NYC uses a clip with a little "tooth" in it that grabs the bottom of the belt. That type of clip might suit your needs well (I can't say for sure, I wear a belt). If you contact FIST, perhaps they can tell you if other customers with your needs have done well with that type of clip.

I do not wear suspenders, but why is it odd to wear them with a belt? I would think they clip on the belt?

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Dom

Alessi Talon holster is what you're seeking.

They have a composite (plastic?) "clip" that holds rather securely.

Be safe.

PS:

You are correct in that a belt should never be worn with suspenders.

Big D is right on....the talon isn't designed to go over the belt, it hooks on the hem of the waistline...Uncle Mike's also uses a version on their clip ons...I tried the Talon for my P7 but sent it back since the gun was too heavy to not be supported by a belt. Lou told me they are still meant to be used with a belt, just that the belt goes over it..still, I found the gun moved around too much...I would imagine if you are using it for a sub pound gun, you should be fine...


I have a Fist clip on and that little tooth will also grab the hem of you waistline if it comes up with the gun so you don't have to worry about the holster coming out..most of the strong spring clips will work without a belt...

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

Oh, I dunno...I wear a belt with suspenders everyday. On and off duty. Otherwise, my britches would wind up around my ankles.

Being a bit of a suspender "aficionado" what brand of galluses do you wear? I wear a set of Uncle Mike's duty suspenders ON duty and a set of Perry's OFF duty.

I also have a pair of Filson's I wear occasionally.

Thanks gents,

I'll give FIST and some others a call today and see what is available.

Appreciate your replies.

Glock 'em down......

I really don't know much about the makers of my suspenders as most of them are gifted to me and I don't look a gift horse in the mouth, I just wear 'em. I do have a couple pairs of Carharts that I really like. I'm a maintenance person on a campus and climbing ladders and picking stuff up all day just doesn't work well with my pants around my knees. Suspenders are "da bomb".

I too use suspenders a lot and I carry my S&W M60 IWB, but NOT clipped to pants. I use the Desantis belt and holster that S&W sells, but under my pants, with just the grips sticking above pants. This puts the belt a bit below belt-line on pants and gives me a very secure and comfortable carry. With pants that do not fit tightly over everything, drawing is easy. It is also very nice when you have to drop your pants.

I went to this because I have muscle damage that often requires a very sturdy back brace. I find this arrangment gives me the support I need, to extent that I recently hiked for 5-6 hours easily with this rig, something that normally requires that backbrace.

Niklas

I'm using this Don Hume Clip-On Inside The Waistband Holster (H715M-WC) with my M&P45C. I wear it just forward of the right hip. I never wear a belt and most of my slacks are lightweight polyester. I don't have any trouble with retention or sagging pants.

J.C.,
Be careful that the IWB holster that you purchase does not require the belt tension to secure the weapon, many do.

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Eric

Other than with pajamas and sweat pants, I always wear a belt, and can't imagine not doing so. However, if I wore suspenders, I'd still wear a belt for support of any IWB holster, "propriety" be damned. While a woman's hip geometry might be sufficient to support enough of the gun's weight to make clip-on holster carry work, I think most men are going to need the stiffness of a belt to have decent concealment, comfort and security.

BTW, some have mentioned the Alessi Talon, which is a quality holster with a clip that might work for unbelted carry. Sadly, Lou Alessi died, I think about a year ago. I'd love for someone to start making his designs again, but I've not heard of anyone. His holsters can still sometimes be found on the used market.

I wear a belt and suspenders. I have a chronic case of "noassitol" and the weight of a gun even with a good gun belt would have me hobbled in no time.

I also second the vote for the Allessi Talon clip. It grabs the waist band of your pants and hangs on.

BTW The Alessi tradition continues and the back log is shrinking.

Give them a look here.
http://www.alessigunholsters.com/

Thanks for the Alessi link, Iggy! I'm very pleased to know that someone is carrying on the tradition!

More great information folks,

Barbc: I followed your link and at that cost it was almost a "what have I got to lose" issue. I ordered a Don Hume H715M. We'll see how well I like it when it arrives.

Iggy: Thank you for the link. I am going to call them tomorrow and talk about lead times etc for a Talon Plus. But will still likely wait until I get the Don Hume to see how it works out.

LOL.... noassitol..... Uhmmm yup, bigbellyocious and nohipsititis too.

Thanks again for all the suggestions.
J.C.

Also, you might wanna consider investing in a nice gunbelt. The folks at Looper Leather are good friends of mine (looperlawenforcement.com) and they sell a "Kydex" belt which is a plain ol' leather belt with a strip of Kydex inside, to keep the leather belt from warping.

I also wanna try to talk you into getting away from the clip on style of suspenders. I personally wear galluses that are gonna stay put and not lose their grip and go airborne. Yeah...clip on styles do that. You might try the type that use leather tabs that attach to buttons, or try a set of Perry's. They hook onto your belt.

Seriously. Carrying a pistol/revolver in an IWB holster without a belt is a disaster waiting to happen.

Welcome to the Perry Suspenders eStore

Filson - Shop By Category: Pants, Chaps & Shorts: Belts & Suspenders: Tab Suspenders

Men's Duluth Trading Button Suspenders - Duluth Trading Company

Yup. After you posted that today I went to the Perrys site and took a look around.

They have some nice looking suspenders. I especially liked the "Outback" model. Leaves my five oclock open for holster.

Thanks for the links. I'll take a look. I love suspenders.

There's also 'ThunderWear' and 'SmartCarry' holsters.

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John

From the Urban dictionary:

belt-and-suspenders man
A man who goes to great lengths to avoid risk, embarassment, or exposure. i.e., if the belt should break, the suspenders will keep his pants on. Not quite paranoid, but on his way there. Can also be said of a man with something to hide. (or less than something as the case may be)
example: Lars, a real belt-and-suspenders man, saves every single email he sends and receives and archives them to CD, claiming "you just can't be too careful".


Definition 2:

In-the-closet male transvestite. Wears trousers held up with a belt. Underneath wears stockings and suspenders.

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

And there am I - flying without a net.

Although if the slacks material is too thin, I will also use the elastic of my underwear to help support the holster.

I called Alessi today and got a lead time of 3 - 4 weeks for a Talon.

Well, I just couldn't resist that and the downright pleasantness of the girl I spoke to, so.............. I got one of them coming too.

I should be set now. I'll probably like them both so much, I'll have to run downtown and pick up another P6.

I just love it when Barb talks dirty, don't you?

I use the don hume that Barb mentioned to carry my 1911 with suspenders and no belt without any problems.

Well, re: suspenders. I wear them and I like them. I have a back injury and a belt worn for a prolonged time causes me discomfort. I found the Duluth Trading Co. (Google it) has suspenders in a number of variations. Since I now wear mostly Levi's I opted for one of their button styles. They sell the buttons as well as the suspenders. Put the button were you need it and schmuck it with a hammer and it's there for good. I haven't found any suspenders to beat them for comfort and quality, Mike

Yep! I've got two pair of Duluths. They are good galluses, but at 2" wide, they are a little wide for my likings.

The Filson's are the best! Since they are cotton, they tend to be a little more stretchy than the Duluth's, but they are only 1.5" wide, which suit me better. I have a pair of tan ones and a pair of red ones on order.

I still think the Perry's are the best, because of the way they attach to your belt. I ALWAYS wear a belt.

Just bringing this back up to say thank you to the folks that lead me towards the Alessi.

I had to cancel my order for the Don Hume when they wrote and told me it was at least seven weeks out. I kept the order for the Alessi and it arrived Christmas eve. (nice timing).

Fit is perfect and the finish is very nice as well. I can't imagine any way to pull this holster out along with the gun, unless, with time, that clip gets weak. I've holstered and drawn at least a hundred times and there's no way I can pull the clip past the waistband on my jeans. Actually it's a little difficult to open the clip and get it on.

Anyway, thanks again, I'm happy.

J.C.

I hope you are not putting the clip over your belt...that will eventually break it...the talon goes under the belt and catches on the seam of your pants....

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

A couple days ago I made a Kydex holster because I usually just wear elastic waist shorts. I made the clip pretty wide to spread the weight out and have more clip to hold to the waist band. Works pretty good and I'm going to make a couple more as I see improvements. It's easy to work with and inexpensive as well.

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US Army 1965-1971

JC you started with the Cadillac. Alessi's are fine holsters.

Aloha,

Glad I saw this thread.

I was wondering if there were others out there that had a problem keeping their lower garment up where it should be.

Suspenders seem to be one answer I can live with.

Further thought brought up a semi-belt of sorts to wear With the suspenders that attache to the belt loops so that the holster will have a stiffer attachment? Like 1/3 or 1/4 belt with side wards belt keepers adjustable for belt loops.

My daily wear here in Hawaii is elastic waisted shorts and suspender on light weight long pants when forced to wear them.

A SmartCarry would be a good alternative for you. I've got a full-size spare tire (we're talking a genuine Monster Mudder here) and it works great for me, especially when I'm wearing shorts or sweats. An IWB w/o a belt just doesn't seem secure for me...the holster might be ok but the gun would flop around too much.

I use the Don Hume open top IWB holsters with the clip for six different revolvers and pistols.

They're hard to beat for the money.

I did Ironwork for many years. Lots of bending and climbing. Never wore bib overalls until I got into Ironwork. That is about all I wear now. No belt, but never have to worry about my pants falling down or shirt coming untucked, which can be very cold in the winter. I use a pocket holster for my S&W 640. Works good.

I tuck IWB holsters down my underwear. The extra elastic supports my full size 9mm fine.

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US Army 1965-1971