Blade-Tech Industries Total Eclipse Holster, Black

The holster is intended for civilian concealed carry users. It has a modular design with a two piece kydex body and a kit containing two pairs of belt loops and a pair of belt hooks along with mounting hardware. You can configure it as straight OWB, FBI cant OWB, or straight IWB. It can be worn on the left and on the right.The construction quality is superb. Every part fits, hardware is high quality. The kydex is thin, but does the job well. It is light but solid.The retention is controlled by a screw next to the trigger guard. The gun locks in with a distinctive click - excellent.Concealment. I expect to be able to wear a good IWB under a thin t-shirt, 2 or 3 o'clock position works best for me. I don't like 4 and 5 because guns start to print as soon as you bend forward, also not good for driving. This holster is decent, but not as good as DeSantis leather IWB. The latter has very significant cant, which helps tuck in the bottom grip and mag's floorplate. Both keep the gun tight to your body. I like that Eclipse has the belt hooks away from the holster body, this minimizes the bulge on the belt and does not print. I would rate it 3 out of 5 for concealment. If I figure out how to set it up with a lot of cant in IWB mode, it will likely score 5 out of 5. Note, it is not tuckable, i.e. you will not be able to wear it with a dress shirt tucked in.In OWB mode you need a heavier covering garment to hide it, as expected, no complaints.Warnings:1. Tighten the screws really well and/or use some blue loctite. They can become loose.2. If you wear in IWB mode at 2-2:30 position the bottom of the front hook may dig into your leg when sitting.The Total Eclipse holster gives you versatility and options. It is an excellent OWB for EDC in winter and converts to a decent IWB for the summer. You can remove the belt loops from the body and mount it in your car or on your LBE. It is a good, quality product.

So I have to say, I have 2 Blade-Tech belts and I've worn them daily for over a year. They are awesome! So when I saw that Blade-Tech makes and OWB holster I made the assumption that the quality and fit would be the same.I WAS WRONG! This holster will NOT in any way form to your hip. So while being ambidextrous out of the box, that becomes a problem when you want the holster to take any bend in order to wrap around your hip. That just won't happen. So if you wear this at 3, 4 or 5 o'clock, the tabs that you slide your belt through actually hold your belt away from your body by almost an inch both places where the belt slides through (so in front of you and behind you). So it's like wearing a 6 inch piece of wood on your hip - remember it is 100% kydex.I know this an OWB (outside waistband) holster, so it's not really going to be super-concealed like an IWB (inside waistband) holster or other holsters can. But part of the marketing says it can easily be covered by a jacket or another shirt. NO WAY! Read on...The photo doesn't really show this problem well - it's just really hard to take a picture of your hip from above. I tried to edit the photo and label what's going on. This photo only shows the OWB straight-drop setup. This is the best luck I've had with it. Plus I've got to wear my belt so tight - it's not comfortable.Things only get worse. If you try to go to the FBI (forward body index) setup where the holster has a 15 degree forward cant, the additional parts that you have to add to the holster only make the problem more pronounced. This is because you have to add extenders to the front and back of the holster that then have the proper angle for a different set of sliders for your belt. That makes the holster stick out maybe twice as much; an inch and a half (both in front of you and behind you).I tried using different variations of the attachments, connecting some of it on the outside of the holster, tried alternating those, nothing worked.IT WILL NOT conceal your gun! It does the opposite.Nothing will allow this holster to hold your gun tight enough to your side to conceal it or come close to concealing it. This includes with a sweatshirt/pullover.There is no way a shirt would even come close to covering it up - everyone would say "Hey, why is that guy carrying a gun?"I guess this review is what it is because I'm comparing this to my IWB Crossbreed holster. That has a leather back(inside) and a kydex outside. I can wear that all day, no one has the slightest chance of seeing an imprint and it's so comfortable.

Two, two holsters in one!! Figure the price!What a deal. It can be configured as an OWB slide holster or an IWB semi tuckable holster. This eliminates the problem of what to wear since your holster will look equally good with formal dinner wear, opera clothing (cloak optional), casual summer wear under a jacket, vest or untucked shirt and, in a pinch, pool wear (not really). It has adjustable cant and is ambidextrous.This is my second Blade Tech (for G43) - the other is for my G19. I would never have bought two if they didn't work as advertised.It is comfortable, holds the gun securely, conceals well, and comes with all the necessary parts. It may take a bit of experimenting to find the right configuration and a small amount of time is required to work this out but once you have it properly adjusted, you'll be pleased.Interestingly, it is made of a soft polymer and is not rigid or non-conforming. This contributes significantly to its comfort and quietness. If you have tried a hybrid holster and listened to the leather squeak, you know what I mean. It holds the gun snuggly to your side and is certainly suitable for everyday carry or IDPA, etc.

I've used this a few times now... And I'm still unsure of how I feel about it. It looks great, and fits the gun great, but I'm still on the fence with how it fits me. I have the standard Blade Tech holster that came with my M&P range kit, and it mounts a little further from your hip, but this one hugs very tight to your body. The main issue I have with it, is that the belt loops are about 6" apart, and the holster is quite stiff, so unless you're a much larger person, it's awkward to mount on your side, and I have to move it almost around my back so it sits over my back pocket for it to sit comfortably. It is also formed to fit the M&P with thumb safety, which mine does not have, so it doesn't quite fit right around the opening, but that's a minor detail.