As somebody who carries a gun as often as possible and in all kinds of different outfits, holsters are important to me.
A good holster has to be concealable and comfortable. You should be able to adjust it to your needs. It shouldn't bankrupt you either.
That's why I've carried an Alien Gear inside-the-waistband leather and kydex Cloak Tuck holster for pretty much the entire time I've been carrying a gun. It was a massive upgrade in every way over the cheapo single-clip leather sandwich Master holster I briefly started out with. The only time I've ever wavered was after reviewing the gorgeous all-American all-leather custom holster from Savoy Leather—a holster I'll probably go to if I ever open carry.
Ultimately, I didn't change direction even though the Savoy Leather holster was three times as expensive and at least three times as beautiful as my trusty Alien Gear standby. My recent trip to Cleveland for the RNC, where I forgot my holster and had to get by with a terrible replacement, only reinforced my view.
Anyway, I'm not carrying my leather and kydex Cloak Tuck holster anymore.
I've switched. But not away from Alien Gear. The company recently introduced a new take on their old Cloak Tuck design. The Cloak Tuck 3.0.
All the leather is gone. The 3.0 has waterproof neoprene on the side that contacts your body, a springy metal core, and a kind of rubbery grip skin on the side that contacts the firearm. They've also upgraded the clips by infusing them with glass to make them far stronger and more durable.
It retains the modularity, adjustability, and value that makes Alien Gear so special. You can easily change the angle at which the holster sits on your belt, the depth it sits, and how tightly it holds your gun in place. They'll even swap out a different kydex shell for you, if you ever decide to change the gun you carry. All for less than $45.
When Alien Gear first sent me the 3.0 I never expected to switch. I mean, who could give up the feel of rich, supple leather pressing against your skin for a synthetic substitute?
I never expected the neoprene to be as breathable and comfortable as leather. But it is. And that metal core inside the 3.0 really does provide superior retention for the gun. Unholstering and reholstering the gun is in another league compared to the leather Cloak Tuck—or its predecessor the Cloak Tuck 2.0, for that matter. You get that satisfying *click* when holstering your gun with the leather holster or the 2.0 but with the 3.0 it's somehow even more satisfying.
But the 3.0 isn't the only new Alien Gear offering. My favorite little holster company now has an outside-the-waistband paddle holster and a special dock designed to mount it anywhere you see fit.
The Cloak Mod holster uses a similar build to the 3.0. It uses the same swappable kydex shells as its inside-the-waistband cousins. The cant and retention are equally adjustable. It has the same metal core that makes the 3.0's retention so great. It comes with either a convenient paddle back or a more secure belt adaptor. All for about $47.
The Cloak Mod fits perfectly into the Cloak Dock. That fully adjustable dock can be mounted to pretty much anything. You can mount it under your work desk or screw it underneath your bedside table.
I mounted it right to my metal bed frame, which was easy to do since the $15 dock comes with all the hardware you need to mount it to metal, wood, or drywall. It's the new home for my Sig Sauer commander size 1911 Nightmare when I'm not carrying it. In my case, this might be overkill.
After all, I generally keep a loaded Remington 870 shotgun and my custom built AR-15 in my bedroom. I'm probably good but, hey, the 1911 has night sites. It can't hurt.
I can see how the dock could be used by somebody with a few less firearms to create a full protection plan. Really, if you buy a Cloak Tuck 3.0, a Cloak Mod, and a Cloak Dock you would have an extremely effective self-defense set up. It would only cost you about $100 to get yourself a viable plan for what to do with your gun when you’re both inside and outside of your home. If you prefer outside-the-waistband carry, you could cut out the 3.0 and have a stellar set up for a little more than $50.
That's a nice, streamlined set up that will probably make a lot of people happy. However, I won't be giving up any of the six Alien Gear holsters I currently own.