
When Fanny Pack CCW Won’t Cut it

A look at Bastinelli Knives’ FBag for Cross-Body Carry of a Handgun and a Knife.
Story and Photos by Paul PawelaWe first wrote about Bastien Coves and his company Bastinelli Knives back in January 2021. Since then,
his popularity as a custom knifemaker has skyrocketed. Coves’s knives have been featured in half a dozen popular action movies, and while that is an intriguing reason to purchase one of his products, I’m more concerned about who uses these knives for real-world purposes. That said, I have confirmation that Bastinelli knives are being used in the intelligence and special operations communities worldwide, which speaks volumes.
If you were to check out Coves’s many YouTube videos, you would find that he is an incredible magician with knives. He makes excellent selling points by demonstrating his knife moves with his many different blades. I’ve often stated in this magazine that I’m not a big fan of empty-hand fighting. I frequently advise doing everything in your power to avoid an out-and-out fistfight, as nothing is ever accomplished in doing so. However, when it comes to deadly-force encounters, I have always stated that for every concealed carry permit holder, the best way to protect yourself is with a knife and gun.



AS I HAVE said before, my home base is Florida, and finding the right clothing becomes rather tricky when it comes to discreetly carrying weapons. Recently, Coves collaborated with Paladin Tactical, an excellent manufacturer of tactical bags, to create the FBag series.
For the record, I have never been a fan of fanny pack holsters. They generally scream “gun bag”; they are usually very bulky and it can be rather challenging to get the firearm out of the bag under duress. But Coves has solved this problem. He has three different sizes of FBags – small, medium and large – and they come in various colors. I am partial to the smaller FBag for several reasons. First, in this column’s images, look at how Coves carries his bag. He does not carry it around his waist but across his body. If presented with a situation where he may have to draw his weapon, he can rest his hands on top of the bag in a non-threatening manner. He places his thumb in the built-in thumb pull tab so that he can pull down in one quick motion, drawing to access the firearm at fantastic speed.
There are some outstanding highlights to the bag. First, it is made in the USA, which is very important to me. The bag is made with DWR treated 500D Cordura, rigid materials to make it long-lasting, and it features zip pockets with built-in quick draw – I already mentioned this, but it bears repeating because it literally sells the bag! The dimensions of the bag are 24 centimeters by 17 centimeters, or about 9.5 inches by 6.7 inches. It just does not look like a bag that would carry a firearm in it. On the front of the bag is a zipper compartment to hold your phone and a small wallet. The bonus is that the bag’s back side has a hidden knife sheath carrier. I liked the FBag so much that I bought one for myself, and I attached the Bastinelli Gambler knife to the back.
Unfortunately, my problem is that I mistakenly showed my wife the bag with it carrying a Glock 43 and the Gambler. She loved the system so much that she confiscated it from me – now known as
one of her Christmas gifts! I can think of no higher endorsement than that! The Bastinelli FBag makes the cut! ★
Editor’s note: Visit bastinelliknives.com for more information.