Background: I've been carrying primarily full size guns at 3 O'Clock (Mostly OWB concealed with some IWB) on and off for most of my adult life and the not so proud owner of a decent beer gut/matching spare tire for most of those years. I was never anti-appendix carry but I'd never really given it much thought either. After the wife and I found a diet and exercise regime that works for us, I found myself down a couple pants sizes (and still shrinking) and considering switching to full time IWB carry for the Texas summer. At the same time, I was watching a lot of videos from the usual suspects on YouTube (Sage Dynamics, Modern Samurai and Warrior Poet) and they all run appendix...so one thing led to another and I decided to experiment with AIWB. Goal is to carry under lighter tshirts with the bare amount of printing (yeah, I know - printing is overrated and most folks don't notice but it's a point of personal preference)Choice: I'm not 100% sold on AIWB (probably more from being set in my ways than anything else) but I wanted to give it a legitimate test. Rather than one of the uber-rigs like an Axis or a Sidecar, I went with a smaller footprint with the thought that a less expensive rig would be easier to walk away from if it didn't work for me. The usual names kept popping up but I've read a lot of great things about Dara and a sub $50 holster seemed like a good entry point, especially for a holster that accommodates my optic and tall irons.Shipping: I ordered on a Friday morning and got an immediate confirmation email listing the details. I got another email on Saturday letting me know the work order had been printed, which was followed by a third email on Monday letting me know the holster was finished and had been shipped via USPS with a tracking number. It was received on Thursday. Dara's process for keeping the customer in the loop on their order is easily the best one I've seen. I've ordered probably a dozen kydex holsters over the last few years and the typical "what's going on with my holster?" questions never had a chance to form with them. I give it an A.Packaging: The holster arrived in a white shipping envelope. Inside the envelope was a Dara branded box, rather than a generic brown one. The box held my holster, an invoice and a card with some more Dara info. No extraneous packaging or padding. A on that one as well.Holster: The kydex itself is thicker than anything I've got on my shelf right now from other companies. It's got a much more solid feel to it than I was expecting, especially for a relatively small holster. There's not much to it as it's billed as a "minimalist holster" and it lives up to that name. Enough kydex to cover everything from the trigger guard forward with the slide cut forward enough to stay clear of the optic. The fit and finish is smooth as glass and I can't find any gaps or imperfections. The retention is adjustable, but the pistol fit perfectly out of the box and I see no need to adjust it at this point. After about 100 test draws last night, there was very little of the kydex dust that I typically get while breaking in a new holster. No marks or rubs on the gun that weren't there when I started. The mounting system all appears to be quality hardware with no obvious blemishes or bare spots. I'm more than pleased with it so far. Another A.Belt Attachment/Claw: This is my first AIWB, so I've got nothing else to compare the setup to but I have no complaints. The single loop 1.5" fits over my belt (more on that later) with a little effort, but once it's on there's very little wobble or movement on the belt. The claw tucks in behind the belt nicely and stays in place perfectly. It seems to be the perfect size, as it doesn't push my pants out past the gun or dig into my stomach. With the gun on, there's a small amount of shifting when I sit or stand but I feel like that's a good thing. I'd rather have it move a bit then dig into my thigh or guts. My only concern is ride height - it rides much lower than any OWB or IWB that I've ever worn and there isn't a ride height adjustment on this model. I have enough room to get a good master grip so I'm thinking it's something that I have to adjust my thinking on, rather than anything that's on Dara's design. It comes off pretty quickly and goes on in just a couple seconds. The clip is tight, but not overly so. It feels like it will remain solid, rather than weakening over time. The optic remains above my beltline. I'll give it a solid B.Wear: I spent a couple hours with the holster on last night around the house and I'm honestly surprised at the comfort level. There's definite pressure on my stomach when I'm wearing it, but there aren't any hot spots or sharp edges. I can sit comfortably on the couch without wanting to take it off. I tested getting in and out of my truck and didn't notice any issues with that or seat belt interference. I am, however, having some issues using it with my current belt - a double thick, reinforced leather gun belt with the typical metal buckle. I love that belt but it's meant to allow me to hang mag carriers and heavy guns off my waist, rather than secure an IWB, and the design shows it. The buckle combined with the gun create a small metal tumor that prints something fierce up front, and when I shift the buckle to one side or the other I'm getting a slightly smaller but still fairly obvious print under a tshirt. I've already started shopping for a new belt but I'm open to suggestions from the mob as well. I give it a B with the caveat that I may be taking points away for something that isn't Dara's fault.Summary: I know this turned into a massive Wall of Text, but there seems to be a lack of information on some of Dara's holsters here and I wanted to make sure people that are in the decision process have a chance to consider them, as I'm glad I did. It's definitely opened my eyes to the possibility of switching to AIWB full time and it's worth testing further - it's going to get some more "around the house" time before I take it to the range for live fire. I've got a couple classes scheduled this summer, so I'm contemplating the possibility of using it for one of those as a "final" test before I make a decision on the feasibility for my EDC.EDIT: TYPOS via /r/CCW http://bit.ly/2IvKB9e
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