Great way to start this year’s show circuit with the North American International Motorcycle Supershow 2026!
Per tradition, I always hunt down a Fat Boy and this time I found a special one, a 2018 114 in Industrial Gray with rare satin-chrome finish, courtesy of Durham Harley-Davidson.
While the Fat Boy is my all time favourite Harley, I gotta say this Sportster S with Scrambler style exhaust looked amazing!
Always love the police bikes
If the rumble of a Harley isn’t enough for you, add some Rockford Fosgate (courtesy of Altered Sound)
Kicker is also another great option for sound
Speaking of loud Harleys, wow I remember when the Livewire was first introduced, they had one at the show that you could sit on and rev…the whine echoed through the whole exhibition hall like Scottish bagpipes heading into battle
Of course, if you find stock Harleys too subtle there are infinite custom options. I love the tinted windshield on this one.
And monochrome grey paint on this one
Can’t decide between tinted windshield or grey, why choose?
Love what they did with the front end, replacing the lights with a radiator
Or if you prefer performance mods, a CVO
WOW this bike was clean! I love the way they ran the cables through the forks and handlebars
Sadly my pic was not as clean as the bike
And at the opposite end of the stealth scale…
Blue was very popular this year
That must have been a very long ride
Nice to see the John Deere bike again
This bike was nice
But I really need those glasses!
Ok moving on to other brands, some Triumphs from GP Bikes
Including the spectacular Rocket 3! Wow that looked amazing in person.
Trident
More Triumphs in the vintage bike section…a couple of Daytona 675R
Speed Triple
On to some Italian bikes…beautiful MV Agusta Superveloce
MV Agusta Dragster RR SCS America Special Edition
MV Augusta RR
Strong showing from Ducati
Moto Guzzi V100 and V7
Huge presence from BMW Motorrad
Love this colour on this GS
vs. the more typical blue/white
Great that they brought one from the ///M line
S1000RR
G310R
R1300
Lots of vintage bikes at the show as well
Norton
V-Max
I liked the military bikes
I didn’t get too many pics of the Japanese bikes
ceriksson found one in his size
though he could have gone even smaller
Lots of riding clubs had booths, great to see my buddy with Widow’s Sons
Hall 5 had a dirt track set up for riding demos
Aerial view of the other half of Hall 5
And now for another episode of “I see knives everywhere,” quite a few vendors at the show including this local maker
Love the “grape” cutting knife
And folding axe
Blades4You
Black Gold Knife Co.
So in closing, if I had to choose one? I would probably go with the Altered Sound show bike. I like the look of big front wheel baggers and I am very into sound.
On the way back we stopped in at Fundy Tactical. I have seen them at other shows and never realized their retail store is in the same complex as Arizona Grill Lounge, where I have been several times!
Great selection and super nice people
And of course, you cant be in the area without eating at Zet’s! Pork Souvlaki and Gyro dinners.
Did I mention this was a great way to start the year?
Given that I had such a great time at the last Glock Aimpoint Day and this one was at Urban Tactical, one of my favourite gun stores/ranges, I knew I would be in for a fantastic day!
I have lots to cover so let’s get right into it with Glock. Great to see Liam from Amchar and gadget again.
Training and simunition Glocks on display (I will cover the Glocks on the shooting line shortly)
Next some great lights from Streamlight
I covered their handgun lights at the last Glock Day so I will focus on long-guns today, starting with this awesome PROTAC® Rail Mount HP-X PRO Long Gun Light with 105,000 Candela giving you 648M throw!!! (I want one of these!)
The Jack-Cap® tail cap switch allows you to activate it directly via the firing button at the rear or attach a remote pressure switch
Top view
Shotgun forend. I like the Streamlight logo over the pressure switch
The business end
Streamlight is expanding the Wedge line with the addition of the SL. It is shaped similar to a pen and operates similarly with a click button at the tail end to give you 500 Lumens. I love it!
It would definitely go in my TimSpec Engineering M3P (Military Pen Pocket Patch)
The Wedge is now available in 7 colours including this nice purple
And with 1000 Lumens in THRO® (Temporarily Heightened Regulated Output) mode.
North Sylva showcasing Aimpoint optics Tactical Ordnance shotguns
Customers checking them out
Ok on to the range!
There were several Glocks on the line, including 17s and 43s, fitted with the new Aimpoint COA reddot. As I mentioned in my last review, the Aimpoint A-CUT™ interface mounting system allows the COA to be mounted deeper into the pistol slide and co-witness with the factory back up sights.
Once again, awesome shotguns from Tactical Ordnance on the line, this time pump action
Love the stock from Chisel Machining!
First shooter up!
And his son
I didn’t stay to cover more shooters but there were a steady stream of them as you can see by the crowds in the store of people before and after shooting (I’ll come back to the store shortly).
There was an IPSC match going on in Urban’s second range and I wanted to cover that as well. A few shots of the setup…
Rope to activate the trap door
Great to see my friend Stefan competing!
Stefan is a field tester for Triggertech and was shooting with their newest trigger. It has an incredibly short reset and is very light, almost a 1911 feel in a Glock!
Internals of the system
And he let me try it!! It shoots incredibly and the whole setup (with 15lbs recoil spring lol) had almost zero felt recoil.
Thanks again Stefan for letting me shoot it!
All done shooting, it was time for a little shopping in Urban Tactical’s expansive store. Let’s start with guns…
The Mossberg 590 A1 Compact with factory 14” barrel was definitely my favourite!
The illuminated Ghost Ring sights were very easy to acquire
Extra shell carrier built into the stock
On to knives, you know I love Khukuris!
The Ka-Bar was my favourite though ceriksson and I also liked the mini CIVIVI Vaquita II
Last time I visited Urban Tactical I discovered Warbird Protection eyewear, a company founded by Matt Davis, a long-time maker of body armor and PPE protective equipment.
I tried the Deep State with Red Matte Frame // Red Shield Lens. The glass is incredibly clear!
Urban Tactical is the Canadian distributor for UF Pro
I tried on a Striker X Combat shirt and Striker XT Gen 2 Combat pants but alas they were too small. I do like my Delta Tactical winter jacket (that I am wearing today).
Huge selection of footwear
5.11 gear
Yeti
Thanks again to Glock, Amchar, Streamlight, North Sylva, Aimpoint, Tactical Ordnance, and of course Urban Tactical for the great event and your hospitality!
Of course, we were not done for the day so on to our next destination, Army Issue Surplus!
I picked up another surplus Monadnock PR24
Great to see Jeroon again
We wanted to go to Blades4you as well but they were closed
So off to Wingmaster!
Wingmaster has well over 200 flavours (probably closer to 300) ranging from mild options like Apple Pie all the way to Blackenstein, which at 10 MILLION SHU is the hottest thing I have ever had! Wingmaster is holding a bottle of Dragon’s Breath here
ceriksson went with Hot Honey
I opted for The Hulk,, which is made in layers of sauces
and finishes in a beautiful toxic green!
Apparently my tolerance to extreme heat makes me a monster lol
And Blackenstein!!!
The final products
Wingmaster also generously gave us some of his secret sauce Wicked wings
Alright here with go with Blackenstein!
The aftermath
ceriksson tried it as well!
Wingmaster is such a character, really makes it a great experience!
Time to cool off at Dairy Queen
A great way to celebrate my 30th show/event of the year!
The 10th Anniversary Scriptus Toronto show was amazing and I came home with some epic scores!
I have been attending Scriptus for years and it is always busy, this year even more so! As I have stated in the past, this means I cant really do my usual type of review with shots of every table as there are just too many people.
Don’t worry though, I got some great closeups to share, starting with the raffle/swag tables
And the 10th Anniversary ink
I headed straight for stylo.ca’s tables. They are my favourite pen store and I got lucky with them last year with a Sailor 1911L Wicked Witch of the West. This year I took it a step further by requesting stylo.ca bring two pens for me to look at! Thank you so much to stylo.ca for accommodating my request!
The two pens are the Sailor 1911L Ninja In and Esterbrook Astronaut collaboration with Accutron!
Some closeups of the Ninja In
And the Estie Astronaut
Both of these pens are crossovers with some of my other hobbies, namely collecting custom knives and watches and I really liked them. Choosing between the two was a very hard decision but ultimately I went with the Ninja for now and plan to get the Estie down the line.
Another closeup
Compared to the Wicked Witch of the West I picked up last year
And in its more natural habitat lol
Speaking of Esterbrook, there has been a lot of buzz about their just released Peanuts collection so I wanted to check them out before they sold.
Charlie Brown
Snoopy, my personal favourite
Lucy
I didn’t get a closeup of Sally but you can see the pink pen at the bottom right
More great pens from Esterbrook
My favourite on the table (next to the Astronaut)
Thanks to Scriptus’ excellent social media, I knew that Leuchtturm 1917 would be custom embossing at the show!
ceriksson picked up one of their Bullet Journals in black at Phidon Pens
While I got one in Turquoise25 from Toronto Pen Shoppe
Now to get them embossed!
Each letter is laid out or typeset manually
Ready to emboss
And the final result!
I should mention that he does a test stamp first
And here is mine! So great to offer this service on site. It definitely pushed me over the edge into buying a journal lol.
But wait, there’s more! My purchases weren’t done yet. I also pre-ordered with Penablers, a set of Colorverse Schrodinger-Cat.
Thanks to Penablers for doing pre-orders and for the extras in the package
I missed out on Honest Ink’s Poutine ink last year and I wasn’t going to make that mistake again!
I checked back at Straits Pen’s table several times as the rep had to step out to deliver a seminar/workshop. And we are in luck!
They also had a Peameal Bacon special this year.
Apart from my “planned” purchases, I did make a couple of impulse buys. I was really impressed with these cigar boxes converted into pen trays by Hall’s Pens and Things. Many of the boxes are sourced from military personnel who serve in or travel to South America, which adds to the appeal. Also, the maker was really nice and had great prices so it was pretty much a no-brainer to pick one up.
My last impulse buy was a patch from Hot Leaf House
Did you guess correctly which one I got? Lol
Alright, now for some more pens! How about these custom beauties from London Pen
The gold glitter was my personal favourite
3D printed pen stands from stack3D. Love the giant pens
Beautiiful wood pens and desk accessories from Timber Elegance. I especially liked the letter openers.
Finally got to meet Andrew from House of Fine Writing! I have been on their email list for years.
Tons of ink options from Gourmet Pens
Some of the more unique pieces on display
So that covers the main floor. I didn’t take as many pics in the lower level, mainly just of Art Line Pens. Some really impressive, rare, high-end pens here.
Oh and stamps at Circumflux Stationary along with their famous crab pen holders.
And that’s a wrap! Here is a recap of my scores
Thanks again to the organizers and all the exhibitors. I ended by review last year by pointing out that everyone seemed passionate about pens and happy to share their hobby. The same was true this year. Here’s to the next ten years of Scriptus.
I was hoping to see the B&W 801 Abbey Road Edition at Toronto Audiofest 2025 last week. Instead, I found out that there would be an official launch at Bay Bloor Radio this weekend, which is even better!
The setup
First some background information from the B&W rep who opened with an interesting story about how B&W’s relationship with Abbey Road started 45 years ago.
John Bowers demo’d his 801 speakers at the famous recording studio and was initially told they were not good enough but upon closer examination it turned out they were too good and exposed the deficiencies in their recording equipment! Here is the iconic 801 like the one he demonstrated
Since that day, successive generations of 800 Series loudspeakers have been used in Abbey Road’s control rooms and contributed to iconic music and film scores recorded there. Some of those iterations were also on display.
Culminating in the version launched today, a limited edition of 140 for the price of $80,000 per pair.
Based on the 801 D4 Signature with its Diamond Dome, the Abbey Road has unique design cues such as the red Leather by Connolly trim that references Studio Two’s control room and the red leather chairs used by performers.
And a Vintage Walnut cabinet to match the organ
Powering the speakers today, a Marantz LINK 10n Reference Network Audio Player / Preamplifier ($16,000) and a pair of Marantz Model 10 Reference Integrated Amplifiers ($22,000 each).
Now on to the sound demos! We start with the Indiana Jones theme song, one of the first (if not the first) to be played through the original 801 at that first Abbey Road demo! Just t be formal the full title is the Washington Ending/Raiders March performed by John Williams and London Symphony Orchestra.
Unfortunately, the video for the next song, “We Came Along This Road by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (2011 remaster)” got copyright blocked.
Next, Sam Smith performing Diamonds Live at Abbey Road Studios
Now for some more bass, Imaginary Friends by deadmau5
Can’t audition Abbey Road speakers without playing The Beatles! Indeed, Paul McCartney is one of the few people who has unlimited access to Abbey Road. Here he is performing Come Together
As an encore, at my request for more bass heavy music, Ghost Rider with Make Us Stronger!
One last look for size comparison
Thanks again James for today’s demonstration!
All done with the demo, I took some time to look around Bay Bloor’s awesome store starting with the Technics turntables.
SL-1500C/W like the one used for the Turntable Show, a recent seminar at Bay Bloor Radio comparing turntables with streaming.
SL-15000C/K
SL-1200MK7, one of my favourite turntables of all time. It deserves multiple pictures lol.
SL-1200G
SL-1200GR2
SL-1300G
SL-1210G
I didn’t take pics of the whole store although I did get a few of their home theatre demo with JBL speakers, including two in-wall subwoofers!
Thanks again to Bay Bloor Radio and B&W for hosting this event and allowing us to experience ultra rare limited edition speakers!
Seems like yesterday that I covered my first audio show and now Toronto Audiofest 2025 is my fifth! I bring that up because I wanted to open with not just my favourite room of this year’s show but probably my favourite experience of all the audio shows I have attended, and that was to see Vincent Belanger play live to Audio Note! The mix of live music with great audio gear was quite the emotional experience!
Quick shot of the system
Now Vincent tunes his cello and makes adjustments to play alongside Audio Note’s new AN-E Ltd Field Coil speaker that goes down to 18hz!
First he plays without the music accompaniment
And then the incredible dual performance!
Thank you once again Vincent!
I mentioned the speakers go down to 18hz. and wow that field coil design sure throws some bass! Thanks for accommodating my musical preferences!
Audio Note doesn’t just sound great, it looks amazing too!
The TT-Three is a real stunner
After the demo we ran into my favourite audio Youtuber, Audiophile Junkie!
Thanks to Audiophile Junkie’s show reviews, I learned about MACO and their open-baffle speakers. Good thing too as they turned out to be another one of my favourite rooms of the show!
Aesthetically they were for sure my favourite.
The Macaria speakers looked much better in person than I anticipated
Especially in red! My camera did not do justice to how great these look in person.
Side view of the open-baffle design
MACO paired their Macaria speakers (in thermal treated ash) with equally stunning Whammerdyne Heavy Industries electronics, Damn Awesome Monoblocks (DAM2s)! I live in a factory converted loft and love the industrial look of Whammerdyne. Of all the audio gear I have ever seen, these would be the best match for my home!
The Whammerdyne Circuit Salad 60w/channel hybrid amplifier also had the right industrial look
as did the Viablue cables
Even the signage in the room was great
And really nice touch on the live decibel meter!!
the room really came across as cohesive and “professional”. Sorry I couldn’t make it to your afterparty.
Another room with something “unique”, the world’s first free floating cone loudspeaker the Ilumnia Magister Novus!
The driver actually “floats” by means of electromagnets to nullify any mechanical resistance of the cone so there is no absorption of music signal.
Power to supply the floating
The Sound Kaos RiPole Subwoofer is also different as the woofers are in an isobaric configuration but they also throw sound out the front and back.
Paired with Reed turntable
and Trafomatic EOS Integrated Amp
This is what it all sounds like
Ok now for the best sounding rooms! As I have said in past reviews, the Monitor Audio Hyphn is one of my all time favourite speakers and today was no different.
Michi electronics
Rega turntable
Sound check
Yup, I could use this system
Impossible to talk about best sound without mentioning Acora!
Case in point, the MRC-2
Kora High Fidelity electronics.
Note all gear was sitting on Seismion vibration isolation platforms.
Great to see you again Val
More great Acora speakers powered by Accuphase
Another contender for best sound of the show, Joseph Crowe!
The Speaker System No. 2087 with its 18” bass sound as big as they look. And I loved their openness to playing any type of music. Note to exhibitors, it goes a long way to your brand when you do this!
Bass was so clean!
Beautiful matching wood for the electronics
Perhaps not as extreme but equally clean sound from Audio Solutions Figaro M2 at Bliss Acoustics.
Love the custom Martini Racing livery
Canadian premiere of the J. Sikora Aspire turntable with 12KV Max tonearm
7CSPort TAT1 M2 with air floating string drive and CSPort battery powered Phono Preamp C3EQM2
Bliss now carries Wadax!!! The Studio Player is one of the more “economical” pieces in the Wadax line at $57,500!
Pilium Leonidas MY25 Integrated Amp
Isolation platforms from Graphite Audio and Ictra Design
Static display of the Nagra Compact Line, the PSU, Phono, and Streamer
Great to meet the rep from Audio Solutions and catch up with the crew from Bliss Acoustics.
Another of my favourites sound-wise, the Dali Epikore 9 4way speaker with V-16 F subwoofer
The PMC Prophecy 9 also had great sound with a lot of bass from its “LaminairX aerodynamic airflow technology”. Again, my type of sound!
The Michell Gyro is one of my favourite turntables.
The latest version got a huge overhaul or as Michell says “not a reinvention, but a reimagining of everything beneath the surface. It’s a ground-up engineering overhaul that delivers dramatic improvements in performance, usability, and long-term reliability—while staying true to the Gyro’s unmistakable form.”
One of the big changes was to rework the main chassis that now uses precision-machined 19mm aerospace-grade aluminium tooling plate in place of cast aluminium. It also has integrated brass counterweights. There were also changes to the baseplate, suspension, platter edge, etc. (see their website for a full listing)
The Revolv with shielded motor pod and PSU with electronic speed selection (so you don’t have to change the belt when you want to change the speed)
TechnoDec
Apollo Phono Stage and Muse Power Supply
Some fun facts about Michell
Such as the founder was behind C3-P0’s eyes!
Thank you to the rep for the great walk-through of the lineup! It was also nice to see many rooms using Michell turntables.
Corby’s Audio room with a Gyro, Q Acoustics speakers and Saturn electronics.
Saturn electronics
Q Acoustics 5050 floorstanding and bookshelf speakers
Concept series
Speaking of Saturn Audio…
Hailing from London Ontario, Saturn is known for natural sounding audio products that “are about the power of simplicity.” Here is the owner presenting some of their great products.
Coherent Speakers
Beautiful burl on the tweeter
Kuzma turntable
All on Tough Nut Plateau Isolation Rack System (being assembled here for another display)
Entracte Audio had one of the more interesting rooms of the show. I was not familiar with Fink Team Audio but I like their style. The Borg is two-way floor standing design featuring a 10.25 inch high-power mid/bass driver and an Air Motion Transformer (AMT) tweeter.
The KIM is “a reflex system with a paper coned woofer with a massive magnet, Two-way construction with AMT HF unit, again based on a Mundorf core” (per their website).
A fitting pairing to a speaker named “The Borg”, electronics from Angela-Gilbert Young, who’s slogan is “Designer of outrageously innovative and artistic audio components, built one piece at a time.”
Music Pumps, a functioning 20watts per channel stereo power amp with FCF jack to connect external power capacitor pack.
Entracte also had Epos speakers on static display. As you know from my past reviews, I love the ES-14N.
I discovered Marten loudspeakers by chance at Montreal Audiofest earlier this year. This time I made a dedicated stop to their room. Marten is definitely a top-tier speaker maker.
Solid sound from the Bryston speakers and I like the white finish on the amps
Ok let’s take a break from home systems for some Earvana! My benchmark headphones, Focal Utopia
With the Sennheiser HE1 in close second.
More Sennheiser
This year I wanted to focus on IEM and was really anxious to see the Forte Ears Macbeth…so glad they were at the show! They look even better in person…
and sound even better too! These are not just about a fancy faceplate, they are full of technology like “Dual Bone Conductor Drivers” and can deliver bass down to 10HZ!
My usual reference track of course
In doing my show prep, I learned that some IEMs use an isobaric design. I love that design and didn’t even know you could get that in a headphone! The THIEAUDIO Hype 4 IMPACT2 (“Impact Squared”) has exactly that with two 10mm composite diaphragm drivers arranged in an isobaric design.
More great headphone options at EARVANNA
Back to home audio with the world premier of Gershman Acoustics Symphonia
Oracle Delphi Mk VII
Oracle CD 2500 MKIV on Solid Meubles
Allnic H5500
EON Art
More Gershman in Gutwire’s room
I think I have only covered one room of home theatre across all my reviews but this one by Paradigm was certainly worth including.
Not only did they have subwoofers at the front and back of the room, like this Seismic 110
They even had one under the couch! The Millenia Sub has a dual woofer back-to-back bipolar design.
Here is a demo…felt like riding a Harley!
Passion Audio lived up to their name with some high-end components
Such as Wolf Von Langa speakers
Lampizator tube amp and GENYA DAC
Burmester
Audio Eden was showcasing Kharma DB7 speakers in a vibrant orange
MoFi Distribution with their Fender edition turntable with Castle Windsor speakers from the UK
Marantz Horizon
More Marantz
with Bowers & Wilkins
It was great to meet the founder and chief engineer of MonAcoustic and get the details on the PlatiMon Virtual Coaxial Two, in particular, the VC Two’s customizable features. You can toggle the harmonic tweeter on and off and fine-tune its output using a 9-step adjustment switch. The VC Two’s innovative crossover system delivers two distinct sound profiles from a single speaker.
Debut of the KLH Model Seven speakers courtesy of Vinyl Sound.
Davis Acoustics The Wall speakers (I covered these at Montreal Audiofest 2025)
and Final Audio flat panel speaker on display in Atoll Electronique’s room
Once again Hegel had two rooms, one for sound display
And one for static display
Altitudo Audio showcasing a ton of brands including Advance Paris, Audio Physic, Audiovector, CAD, Cardas, Fezz, Gold Note, HRS, Kharma, Lab 12, Merason, OePhi, Takumi, and Trilogy
Canton speakers and once again, Michell turntable in Erikson Consumer’s room
A few rooms featuring Borressen
Tidal Audio speakers at Wynn Audio
PS Audio at Motet
Laiv Audio, Matrix Audio, and Starke Sound at Soulfi
Finally, some components! Chord Cable from the UK. Note how the display was “backwards” with the cables and component backs facing forward. Apart from showcasing their cables, this was also done to speed up the demos they were running all day to show the impact of a cable swap on overall sound.
They also make power conditioners and power line filters
Note that they were using a Michell turntable for the demo.
Iso Acoustics was also running AB demos featuring their GAIA Neo
There were some static displays set up in the hotel lobby as well including a range of Rega turntables. This one was my favourite
As well as a Beatles themed display, shown here with the curator.
Alright so that’s it for my coverage. Now for my usual recap of show favourites! These really shouldn’t be a surprise though!
Overall: Really not a surprise as I opened with this lol. Vincent Belanger and Audio Note
Speakers: Monitor Hyphn, Audio Note AN-E Ltd Field Coil, Joseph Crowe Speaker System No. 2087, Forte Ear Macbeth, Paradigm Millenia Sub, Dali Epikore 9 with V-16 F subwoofer
As I wrote a few short weeks ago, I was thrilled to discover Knifewear, a purveyor of Japanese knives. During my initial visit, I learned that Knifewear would be hosting Master Blacksmith Masashi Yamamoto who was flying in from Japan to do in-store knife engraving and a forging demonstration! While it is common for such dealers to forge (no pun intended) relationships with the knifemakers they represent, it is not common to have one come in for live demos so kudos to Knifewear for the initiative. Of course this leads to exposure for the maker and generates sales, but the benefits extend far beyond that. It educates consumers and builds interest that expands the knife community. As a serious knife collector myself, I am all for bringing new people into the fold. The more interest, the more knifemakers and dealers, win win all around.
The shirt and Masashi enamel pin that I picked up last time were perfect for the occasion.
Once again, the Knifewear storefront.
This time with signage to promote the event.
Clayton Erickson and I arrived early enough to be at the front of the line.
In addition to the engraving and forging demo, Masashi treated us with the introduction of the first knives he made out of SPG STRIX (as in “STrong matrIX”). This new material is a powdered stainless steel designed specifically to be used for cutting tools. What makes it so unique is that it has high hardness (approx HRC65) achieved by hardening the metal base as opposed to the more conventional approach of hardening by adding elements like vanadium carbides. This provides a sharp, long-lasting edge while the structure still allows for easy sharpening and workability. It’s also highly corrosion resistant.
This Kuroshu Honesuki Maru was my personal favourite. Leave it to me to pick a one of one lol.
The Kiritsuke might be a better match for my hat though (coordination is key!)
Once again, Clayton wasted no time and picked up a Santoku, making him the first person in the world to purchase one of Misashi’s SPG-STRIX knives!
Here he is being interviewed about it.
On to the Masashi knives in more traditional steel…
Where I found my absolute favourite knife of the day, the Sasquatch!
I loved everything about it, including the handle
Logo
And mostly the look and feel.
Here it is next to a KAIJIN Honesuki 150mm boning knife for size comparison.
Or if you prefer more tactical, next to my RJ Martin Kwaiken.
At the opposite end of the size spectrum and another knife that caught my eye, the VS1 KAIJIN Petty. What a beautiful hamon!
Tough to choose between a visible hamon and Damascus steel, as used for this Shiroshu Ko-Bunka
Wading through the big crowd….
The man himself, Masashi Yamamoto!
We swarmed him for pics, me with his Sasquatch
Clayton with his new Santuko
And several attendees (pic posted with permission)
Now for the official opening ceremony to the event. I believe this is called a Waritama, and it was tough! It took a beating from a stick, cutting with a knife, punching, and ripping to unleash the prizes inside!
The prizes were actually loot bags for everyone! I got a very pink pig squeeze ball in mine.
Another lucky attendee got a sasquatch pin!
Next the in-store engraving. First Matashi signs the box for Clayton’s new knife.
Next he prepares the knife for the engraving.
Matashi and Clayton discuss the engraving and its personal significance
which in this case is “nin”
Here comes the first strike!
Each letter or character done by hand.
From another angle
Masashi checks to ensure the blade has not warped or suffered any damage during the engraving process.
All good so he presents the finished product to Clayton, who is of course suitably impressed. What a great experience to buy a knife and have the knifemaker custom engrave it for you on the spot!
Closeup of the hand-tools used for the engraving
And the final product
Protected in its sheath for now
The forging demo was actually set up in the alley behind the store. Forging outdoors is challenging as it is more difficult to see the colour of the flame and hence to estimate its temperature.
The forge
And anvil
Masashi with his trademark cigarette
Nathan from Knifewear gives us an introduction to Masashi and the forging process. By way of background, Masashi trained under his uncle at the historic Yoshikane Hamono in Sanjo City and established his forge in 2013. He carries on the centuries-old Sanjo metalwork tradition that specializes in a forging style focusing on forging blades as close to the final shape as possible, resulting in less waste later in the process.
An example of the steel that Masashi will be forge welding, essentially a “sandwich” of hard steel outer layers with a soft core. The hard steel provides edge retention while the soft core provides flexibility to prevent the blade from snapping on impact.
Masashi answers questions form the crowd while he waits for the forge to heat up to temperate (approx. 1800 degrees).
The crowd eagerly watches him start forging.
He hammers the flats and edge
Then checks the shape before re-heating the metal and repeating the process
Here is a quick video to give you a sense.
Then he applies Borax to act as a flux. The white powder melts on hot metal to create a glassy layer that prevents oxygen from reaching the steel, stopping oxidation and the formation of scale. It also helps to dissolve existing oxides and remove impurities, which is crucial for a clean, strong forge weld.
By now you can clearly see the blade taking shape
And it is time to cut the blade off the barstock
For this he gets a volunteer from the crowd to hold the cutting tool
Next a notch is cut into the handle end of the blade to allow a tang to be drawn out.
And the final product, ready for grinding.
Really great to watch! Thank you Masashi-san for the live demonstrations and sharing your knowledge and passion with us. And thank you once again, to Knifewear for making this happen and being such gracious hosts.
All done with the event we went to Top Gun’s Bloor Street location across the street for our post-event meal.
Great service from this gentleman.
In my opinion, they make the best burger I have ever had. That said, I was in the mood for one of their steak sandwiches.
Clayton went with one of their simpler burgers and agreed that they are among the best.
Later in the evening he used his new knife to prepare a light meal.
Compared the one he bought at our first visit to Knifewear.
I am sure Clayton will treasure these knives forever.
Gagnon Shooting Centre’s Glock and Aimpoint Day Open House was a phenomenal event! Open to new and experienced shooters alike, the event featured live fire demos, exclusive product showcases, the opportunity to speak with industry experts, as well as giveaways and prizes all from Glock, Aimpoint, Tactical Ordnance, Streamlight, and North Sylva!
To keep things interesting, the Glock table had a “rotating” display in the sense that the pistols were switching in an out from static display to live fire on the range to give people the opportunity to try as many models as possible. What a neat idea! As such the static table also changed throughout the day, starting with some shared space with Tactical Ordnance (more on them in a moment) to the Glock training guns and field knives you will see in later pics.
I heard Glock’s new COA collaboration with Aimpoint would be on display so I was especially interested in checking that out.
As part of the collaboration, the Aimpoint COA optic is factory installed using the new Aimpoint A-CUT™ interface. The combo is available with the G43X, G48, G19 Gen5, G45, and G47 models. The Aimpoint COA optic is sold exclusively with this package and is not being sold separately at this time.
The Aimpoint A-CUT™ interface mounting system has A LOT of advantages. It allows the sight to be mounted deeper into the pistol slide for extreme stability in all directions eliminating movement of the optic to ensure repeatable accuracy. Built to withstand the extreme stress of recoil, the COA optic has been extensively tested and proven with vibration tolerances rated to 40,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition! The low-profile design allows for easier unholstering and enhanced concealability. Perhaps my favourite feature is that the wide window on the Aimpoint COA sight combined with the low mount allows the dot to co-witness with the factory back up sights!
Of course, as an Aimpoint it has all the features you would expect from the brand like 50,000 hours (over 5 years of constant operation), 4 night vision compatible settings and 8 daylight settings, a 3.5 MOA dot size, and electronics that are completely sealed to withstand rain, snow, or dust, and allow submergibility to 25 m/82 ft. The optic’s quick access compartment allows you to change the battery without removing the sight from the pistol – eliminating the need to re-zero.
I was really looking forward to trying the COA on the line.
These are the training Glocks that I mentioned, made to exact specs.
Glock Type 81 Field Knives
And the Glock Entrenching Tool. This is much more than a mere shovel! The main blade has no welding or rivets and can be locked in three different positions turning into a shovel or a spade. A hardened saw blade with screwdriver tip is stored in the telescopic polymer handle and can be attached to the handle. When folded up, the GLOCK Entrenching tool has an extremely small footprint and can easily fit in a backpack.
As I have said in many past reviews, Tactical Ordnance is among the best when it comes to customizing shotguns.
The top one here is showcasing the Canadian premier of the Aridus Industries Imperium Handguard with its Patents Pending milled in texture. The one piece integrated heat shield provides 360 degree protection from hot barrels during shooting, loading, and handling
Feels great in the hand, as expected since it was designed to provide great grip in hot, cold, wet, or dry.
ceriksson liked it as well
And with the man himself, Casey!
I also really liked this tricked out Benelli M4!
Speaking of shotguns, Amchar is also the distributor for Kel-Tec and they brought a KSG Tactical for display
You might have noticed that many of the Glocks on display were fitted with Streamlights, and for good reason as they make a huge array of weaponlights to fit any of your lighting needs.
The TLR-7X is now multifuel accepting either rechargeable or CR123 batteries. It offers 500 lumens with 5,000 candela for a 140M throw.
The TLR-7® HL-X is a higher power version with 1,000 lumens, 22,000 candela, and a 297M throw.
If you want a wide, peripheral beam, the TLR-1 HL®-X provides 1,500-lumens with 20,000 candela and a 283M throw.
If you need more throw, the TLR-1® HP-X has 1,300 lumens with 77,000 candela for a 555M beam distance. Like the flood beam version, it also features a front-loading battery compartment for rapid battery replacement without removing the light from the firearm.
Streamlight also makes weaponlights for long-guns, such as these rail-mounted lights
Their lineup of handhelds is also huge, with a very small sampling shown here.
My personal favourite Streamlights are the Wedge series. Made of rugged anodized aluminum, these are designed to fit in your pocket like a folding knife.
The full size Wedge has a rotating thumb switch that provides tactile control over the constant-on (300 lumens, 69M beam) and THRO® or Temporarily Heightened Regulated Output modes (1000 lumens, 110M beam in 35 second bursts).
The more compact Wedge XT is USB-C rechargeable and has a push-button tail switch. In high mode it has 500 lumens, 1,900 candela, and 87M beam distance.
Ok on to the range! I headed straight for the COA guns on the line, the first of which was the Glock 47, which is similar to a G17 but with a shortened dust cover.
To give you an idea of the Streamlight
Our target
Here we go! The red dot is so easy to find.
ceriksson liked it as well
Next the Glock 48 with its Slimline frame and rail.
The G48 rail is of similar length and height as the G19 but the width of the pistol is reduced for increased concealability and better carrying comfort. It also has features of the Slimline series such as short trigger distance, built-in beavertail, a reversible magazine catch and the incredibly accurate, match-grade GLOCK Marksman Barrel (GMB) of the Gen5 series. Perhaps that’s why I shot much better with this than the G47!
ceriksson gives it a whirl
Now for some Tactical Ordnance! A couple of 870s
Though I opted for the Beretta 1301 as I had never shot one before! And WOW it was incredible! Zero recoil! I liked as much as my Benelli M4 (dare I say more? Gulp)
look at the size of the loading port!
All done shooting we went back into the exhibit area. By now a pretty big crowd had formed and it was like this all day.
The CCFR was there to educate new shooters and promote our rights
Before heading into the store area, I wanted to give special thanks to gadget for bringing his Winkler Shadow Strike to show me. This is from the limited run that came with an autographed copy of Beast Three Six by Jason Kasper.
Love the felt lined sheath
We wanted to do a little shopping before heading out. I didn’t take any store pics this time, although I have to say this Extrema Ratio Ant was pretty cute lol. I wasn’t familiar with this model.
Also, I was super happy to find a Sitka Balaclava and buy my very first piece of their kit. I have always been impressed by the way Sitka matches their “camo” patterns to the visual spectrum of the game you are hunting. In fact, not only do they consider visual spectrum, they also consider the animals’ perspective, for example, waterfowl looking down as they fly overhead or ungulates looking up at a hunter in a tree stand! BTW, Sitka refers to their proprietary patterns as “concealment” not “camo” and the company is owned by Gore (as in Goretex).
My swag from the event
Once again, fantastic job by the organizers. It was great to see old friends again.
I was thrilled to learn about The Toronto Timepiece Show 2025 yesterday as I have been wishing for a wristwatch show for the longest time! More surprising still, this is the second year of the show! Thanks to Clayton Erickson for the tip and for attending/photographing with me today.
Given that I only had one day notice, I did not have a huge amount of time to do my usual show prep although I did manage to visit the websites of all 80+ exhibitors and create a list of watches that I wanted to see.
I should also caveat that I did not have a media pass or early access so it was more challenging to do full table shots, especially since it was PACKED! Seriously, there were TONS of people all day!
Alright let’s get started! In case you did not know, when it comes to watches, deep divers are my favourite. I am talking 1000M+, the deeper the better. Also, I really like a military pedigree, as reflected in my choice of daily watch, the Sinn EZM2B UX GSG9 edition. I was so happy to hear Sinn would be represented at the show!
Some of the amazing lineup
I love their whole EZM lineup and the U1 was my favourite Sinn of the day
Again, really happy to see Sinn at the show.
Right next to Sinn, Doxa, another good chance of seeing a deep diver here.
Sure enough, a Sharkhunter Sub 1500M
My absolute favourite watch of the day though was at the Oris booth.
Namely the Aquis Pro 4000M!
It’s thick! Note that you can read the time on my Sinn even at this extreme angle thanks to the oil filled case.
Now my second favourite watch of the day may be a bit of a surprise as it has a water resistance of “only” 300M and it is smaller than my usual style at 39mm but wow does it have some military heritage!
The YEMA Navygraf Marine Nationale CMM.10 diver is an updated version of the 1970s model developed in collaboration with the Marine Nationale military personnel. It currently serves as the official watch of the French Navy and also won 2024 French Watch of the Year from UBH (Union de la Bijouterie Horlogerie). I want one!
Another amazing military watch from YEMA, the Flygraf CPA10! Per their website, this was “designed and developed in collaboration with the special forces of France’s most elite airborne commandos the Commando Parachutiste de l’Air No. 10 (CPA10).” It now serves as the official watch of the French Air Force and the CPA10.
Ok now this one is not exactly military but I loved it all the same. INSTANTLY recognizable as a collaboration with Alain Silberstein
Before switching from divers to other types of military watches, I should give a shout out to some great microbrands. First, Spinnaker.
In particular, the Piccard with its domed crystal in homage to the original Rolex Challenge.
At 22mm thick, it is not quite as extreme as another homage watch, the H20 CH1 (which is 28mm) but it still does a great job of paying tribute.
It looks incredible under lume
A real statement piece
Introduced in 1965, the Nivada Grenchen Depthmaster was developed for professional divers and military personal operating in high-pressure underwater environments. Advertising at the time claimed that its1000M water resistance was tested todeeper than any other underwater watch.
The larger 42mm “Pacman” named after the shape of the hour markers
They didn’t have any of the Jellyfish limited editions, but here is what they look like.
More fine watches from Nivada Grenchen
When it comes to milspec, it is hard to beat Marathon as they have been making military grade watches since 1941, covering air, sea, and land.
Given their expansive lineup, I will start with some table pics and then do some closeups.
This one was being raffled off
Ok now for some of my favourites, starting with the CSAR chrono.
Next the 34mm General Purpose Mechanical (GPM) field watch in desert tan
The SSNAV or stainless steel Navigator
The OSAR-D. This was originally issued to Canadian SAR (Search and Rescue) in the early 2000’s.
Speaking of SAR watches, Shelby Watch Company had another one of my show favourites, the Medic. Designed in Canada by a First Responder, the watch features a pulsometer for counting pulses and an asthmometer for respirations.
Display caseback
Breakdown of the components
I put my door prize ticket toward the Medic
Established in 1882 as a maker of pocket watches, Hanhart focused their production on pilot’s watches in the 1940s with the introduction of the “Caliber 41” two-button chrono. This 417ES chrono in 39mm with its iconic red pusher is a prime example
I also liked their Primus Pilot
It is impossible to talk about pilot watches without mentioning Breitling, another top-tier brand I was looking forward to seeing at the show.
Endurance Pros from their Professional line
Navitimers
Chronomat
If jet planes aren’t high enough for you, how about a watch inspired by outer space, the Isotope Hydrium NASA, officially endorsed by the organization? It has a lot of incredible features like Cerakote coated case and full-lume dial and bezel. I am convinced you can see that lume in outer space!
More space inspired watches from SPACEONE, at least in a Men in Black style
I was not familiar with Echo/Neutra prior to today so I was glad to discover them at the show. I like their “timeproof” concept of classic ageless designs. Some really nice pieces.
Interesting designs from CIGA
The Makoto Shibuya was inspired by the world’s busiest pedestrian crossing located in Japan.
Haha loved this display
Avedis Gabriel contest giveaway
I think these were 3D printed
Incredible watch art from Sinziana Iordache
Turn any watch into a smartwatch with Ganance
And now special recognition for Gem Bijou, a Platinum Sponsor of the show. They had a great display showcasing multiple brands such as Rado
Longines
Love that ULTRA‑CHRON (wish I would have asked them to take it out of the case for a wrist check)
Seiko
Zenea
Mido
Watches competing for Timepiece World Awards
My swag from the show
So there you have it. The Toronto Timepiece Show was everything I hoped for in my first watch show! To recap my favourites (based on the variations that were on display):
In another episode of “I see knives everywhere”, Clayton Erickson and I went to try Peaceful Restaurants first location in Toronto and discovered Knifewear, a knife store literally next door!!!
I really like the vibe of the store. The owner happens to be an audiophile as well, hence the musical instruments (and KEF speakers serenading us with music)
One of my favourites of the day, the CCK Cleaver “Civil and Military” Kitchen Chopper. This mid-weight cleaver is equally good for heavier jobs like chopping small poultry or fish bones and lighter tasks like cutting boneless meat and veggies.
Even better, the Mizuno Jigata Masakari Bearded Hatchet! This super thickness of the hatchet is good for splitting, the straight bevel is good for wood-working/bushcrafting and there is definitely enough room for even my big hands behind the beard for finer tasks. I may just have to go back and get this one!
In the meantime, I just picked up some swag
Meanwhile, Clayton picked up another kitchen knife! An Ichigo SLD Migaki Gyuto to be precise!
As well as some Japanese thread scissors for his sewing kit
We were pleased to learn that Masashi Yamamoto will be coming in from Japan in a couple of weeks and he will do in-store forging demos and will engrave any of his knives that you purchase!
More beauties around the store
Haha TOJIRO Child’s Santoku
Really glad we discovered this great store! We hope to be back soon for the upcoming Masashi event. Thanks so much to Robbie for the hospitality and great service!
Ok on to Peaceful! This restaurant rose to national fame after being featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives in 2012 and has multiple locations in BC so there has been quite the buzz about their arrival in Toronto with their first location opening here just two weeks ago.
Of course, I had to try their beef rolls, described as “Five-spiced beef rolled in a crispy green onion flat-bread & sweet hoisin sauce”. If you like hoison sauce, these are for you!
I prefer a spicier flavour profile so preferred the Spicy Gingered Beef, which as the name suggests is “crispy shredded beef tossed in a spicy gingery sauce”
Had a fun day knife and gear shopping with CGN’s Edged Tools and Weapons moderator, cericksson!
First stop, the Mother Ship, S&R Knives!
ceriksson checking out some knives like the Microtech Stitch
and Flytanium Arcade
Ceriksson wasted no time in picking up a Demko Shark Cub. I really like Shark Lock mechanism. It is located on the spine of the knife and operated with a ramp-like ‘fin’ that is totally ambidextrous and allows for easy one hand opening and closing without your fingers ever getting in the path of the blade. The front guard is cool too.
I didn’t take pics of all the knives that I liked as I have covered S&R in detail in other reviews but will say this gold tiger stripe Extrema Ratio RAO had “me” written all over it!
The obligatory knife selfie lol
Next stop, one of my favourite gear/gun stores, Urban Tactical! They were the very first store I covered in my “gun store tour” back in the day and I have covered A LOT of their events (like annual 5.11 Days) so I just took a few pics today, like their amazing selection of Lowa and Salomon (among many other brands) boots
HUGE selection of YETI (these were just the camo ones)
Eyewear from Oakley, Rayban, and a new brand, Warbird (I liked the red Deep State)
I picked up a pair of Masters of Gloves Target High Abrasion Ergoshield Trivium fingerless gloves
Now for a quick bite at Camp31, a competition level smokehouse
Before returning to base
For a little show and tell
Love that Mayo TnT MOA!
Awesome collection of pens
I really like the topo pattern!
A great day and it was great to meet you cericksson, see you at Glock Day!
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