I thought I was perfectly happy with the Joab and the belt hooks until Mike at The Bullet Hole had me try on the Archangel. It has a slightly different profile and feels thinner. The snap loops also secure the gun better and it moves around less. Its just as easy to take on and off without removing my belt which is an important feature to me.
Yep. I wear my Archangel all the time when I'm not at work. (School---can't carry.) AIWB really is a very individual sort of thing, though. For me, once I found the right holster, AIWB is now completely comfortable sitting, standing, driving in a car (even for long distances), etc. I use my Archangel for fall-winter-spring carry, and a CCC Shaggy for summer carry. (And carry a G17 year-round.)
The Shaggy holds the gun butt closer to my body so it conceals slightly better than the Archangel, but is also slightly less comfortable. In weather that isn't completely boiling hot, concealment is easier so I go with the Archangel. In really hot weather with much lighter clothing, the Shaggy is needed for that extra-low profile. If I carried a G26, I'd use the Archangel year-round. (And I often use a G19 with the Archangel in the summer, too.)
The Shaggy originally came with a hard kydex loop, and that was the one thing I really disliked about it---like Shawn, I very much prefer to be able to take the entire holster off my belt without undoing the belt. (See? Shawn and I
can agree on something!
)
The latest iteration of the Shaggy includes a choice of loops, including a set of soft snap loops. (And if you have an older Shaggy, you can buy just the loops and replace them, which is what I did.)
I have several friends who have converted to AIWB. I have several others who converted
back to IWB because they realized over time that it just wasn't comfortable enough for daily carry for them. It really is all about individual body type---and having a non-flat stomach isn't necessarily the defining choice. (I certainly don't have rock-hard abs.)
The problem, of course, is the fact that you won't know it works for you until you try it, and good AIWB holsters (mostly) aren't cheap. If you've got a friend who will let you borrow one for awhile, that is the best thing.
