Last year was my first time attending the Outdoor Adventure Show and it was unplanned so my visit was really about exploration. This year I had a bit more of a plan, namely to check in with my friends and re-visit booths that I liked, then to focus on those that I missed last year, and finally to discover anything new.
With those objectives in mind, let’s start with Fenix! I just bought a TK05R from them at the Toronto International Boat Show last month and I have been carrying it since. I look forward to seeing Fenix again at the Toronto Sportsmen’s Show next month.
I discovered Dirty Leather at last year’s OAS (and have since seen them at TSS). As I mentioned, they are strong supporters of the shooting community and are CCFR sponsors, in addition to making great leather goods!
Josh was showing us his beer holster
But a single rig may not have been enough for ceriksson who liked the quad setup
Meanwhile, I liked the BMF lineup, including the belt
And mason mug
Great to see you again Josh and see you next month at TSS!
Another exhibitor that I not only discovered but crowned my favourite of last year’s OAS (and saw again at TSS), Axcadmy. To recap, Axcadmy offers courses on forging things like railroad spike knives, hatchets, and two-hander axes among others.
And yet another returning favourite (from OAS and TSS), Bison 1879 axes from Germany, however this time they were being shown by Great Ape Empire.
Awesome pickaroon
Not only does Bison make great products…
…they have great customer service and respond to requests very quickly. For example, they confirmed for me very quickly that their thrower meets BATL regulations.
I visited the Canadian Outdoor Equipment Co. booth fully expecting to see Helle knives from Norway. Instead, they had Casstrom Scandinavian knives, a brand with which I am not familiar.
I liked the Lars Fält knife blanks
But my favourite thing at the Canadian Outdoor Equipment Co. booth was the “youth” axe by Old North Workshop! You might think that I am just young at heart but nope, I just saw an “impact tool” lol.
I wanted to show ceriksson the Suluk 46 ultralight titanium/carbon fiber hand saws as I thought he would appreciate the engineering. Yup.
And for when you need to saw a lot lol
Last year I liked the WJQ-308 Chinese Military Shovel at Mastiff Gears. I know that they now offer a WWII M38 Military Shovel and I was hoping to see that but no luck.
Alright let’s move on to booths that I missed last year and wanted to be sure to visit this time. First and foremost is Kite Optics, who specialize in stabilized binoculars and are the makers of the world’s first stabilized spotting scope!
I won’t get into all the benefits of stabilized optics other than to say Kite uses a unique approach. They use a roof prism design with their KDGS (Kite Dynamic Gimbal System) that securely encases the roof prisms in both optical channels in a permanent and inseparable manner, preventing the issue of one prism falling out of collimation with the prism in the other optical tube. The system also uses KT software to fine tune and ensure there is never delay, wobbling, or discomforting motion in the image. (source https://kiteoptics.com/)
APC Stabilized 30
APC Stabilized 50
I really liked the Mono Stabilized
Its larger brother, the APC 60 ED, the world’s first handheld stabilized spotting scope
Another exhibitor I missed last year, Cutco knives!
They have a wide range of knives from kitchen to outdoor to tactical
I was most interested in the Explorer, their collaboration with Ka-Bar
Finally, some new discoveries, like Kovach Forge
I liked the big cleaver
On Duty Equipment with a nice selection of Helikon-Tex
Many outfitters with exploration of all parts of the world including the Arctic
Lots of canoes and paddles. I am not totally into the recent “yay Canada” craze brought on by our political climate but I have to say this was the nicest looking canoe at the show
Thule rooftop carriers
We saw Optimum Paintball at the Canadian International Autoshow earlier this week as well
Funny we also saw the Ghostbusters car at the autoshow, I wonder if these are remnants from the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man
BTW, the show was PACKED so be prepared for that!
I look forward to seeing many of these exhibitors next month at TSS and I will definitely keep an eye on Kite Optics, hopefully picking up a pair soon. RL
This year’s Canadian International AutoShow was definitely one of their better shows with a huge array of the types of ultra exotics and performance cars that I like to see.
I have organized this review into the two broad categories of “exotic” and “performance” and focus on the cars that caught my eye. With over 1000 vehicles on display, I can’t cover them all! And thanks to ceriksson for being my co-photographer.
Exotic Cars
Alright let’s get started with my absolute favourite car of the show, the Singer Classic Turbo!
I think it looks best from the rear three-quarter view
As that shows off its whale tail and glorious 510HP 3.8L twin turbocharged flat six
This view also highlights the incredible deep dish wheels! I love them!
Yup, I would take this over all the other exotics we will be seeing shortly.
Though I know some prefer the Classic with its more streamlined lines
and its iconic hood mounted filler
Beautiful engine
Now if that wasn’t enough, Pfaff brought all three McLaren “1” cars, the F1, P1, and W1! And not just any F1 but Chassis number 001, the first customer car ever delivered! As you probably know, the F1 set the record for the fastest production car in the world at 240 mph (391 km/h) back in 1998, a record that stood for a decade. Although that speed has been surpassed, it is still the fastest naturally aspirated production car.
To quote The Weekend, “P1 cleaner than your church shoes ah” lol.
The new W1 makes the P1 look tame in comparison. It is powered by McLaren’s all-new MHP-8 V8 combustion engine with integrated E-module to produce 1,258 HP. Performance specs are 0-100km/hr in 2.7 seconds, 0-200km/h (124mph) in just 5.8 seconds and 0-300km/h (186mph) in under 12.7 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 217 MPH. Crazy to think the F1 is 20MPH faster!
Formula 1-inspired ground-effect aerodynamics, advanced active aero and Race Mode generate up to 1,000kg of downforce
Mercedes McLaren SLR 722
Last but certainly not least at the Pfaff booth, the new Pagani Utopia! The design goal of the latest Pagani was to create a classic, pure experience. No hybrid power here, it uses a V12 with pure 7-speed manual! Perhaps the most impressive aspect is that it achieves incredible aerodynamic efficiency without spoilers. Instead the function of these appendices is incorporated into its overall shape, achieving greater downforce and reduced drag solely by means of its design.
Ok on to Grand Touring’s booth with their show stopping Bugatti Mistral that set the top-speed world record for an open-top car at 282.05 MPH or 453.91 km/h!
I remember seeing the prototype for the Aston Martin Valhalla at a previous show so it was pretty wild to see the first Canadian customer car. And fitting too as the Valhalla is full of firsts: Aston Martin’s first series production mid-engined supercar, first PHEV, first to use the 4.0-litre twin-turbo flat-plane crank V8 engine and the brand’s all-new 8-speed Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) with e-Motor and electronic rear differential (E-diff). Its combined 1,064 HP allows it to do 0–100 km/h in 2.5 seconds with an electronically limited top speed of 350 km/h.
Another Canadian intro, the Koenigsegg Jesko!
First time I see the Lamborghini Temerario with a twin-turbo V8 hybrid powertrain capable of over 340 km/h (210+ mph) and 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) in just 2.7 seconds.
The Bentley Flying Spur Black Edition may be more my speed
An equally good option of luxury combined with speed, the new Maybach SL Roadster
Autostrada brought seven incredible cars
One of my favourites of which was the Lamborghini Diablo GTR, one of just 40 made! This track-focused version of the Diablo (Lambo’s first car to exceed 200MPH) is stripped of luxury features, equipped with a single racing seat, full roll cage, massive rear wing, stiffened suspension, racing brakes, lightweight magnesium wheels, and a 6.0-litre V12 tuned to 582 HP.
Another favourite, the Porsche 911 GT3 R Rennsport. Drivers can enjoy its 4.2-litre boxer engine that revs to 9,400 rpm from their single-seat cockpit and watch competitors in their camera-based mirrors!
Nice Lamborghini Murciélago LP 670–4 SuperVeloce! Powered by a 6.5-liter V12 producing 661 horsepower and 487 ft-lbs of torque, it can accelerate from 0–100 km/h in around 3 seconds, with a top speed of up to 342 km/h. Only 268 made (out of the originally planned 350).
And another Mercedes McLaren 722! What were the chances of there being two at the show!
OBLIVION had the coolest display of the show! The 80’s/90’s themed exhibit had not only cars from the era, but also music and paraphernalia to really set the mood.
I was thrilled to see a Ford RS200S in person for the first time (while listening to the Beastie Boys lol). Built for Group B rally racing (my favourite…along with DTM) it has a 1.8L Cosworth BDT turbo engine producing 350 hp (competition Evos reach 700 hp) and weighing just 2,600 lbs it can hit 142 mph. This particular show car is a Model S version, one of 20 and once held the Guinness World Record for fastest-accelerating production car! BTW, the first pic is my favourite of the show (great job on that one to my co-photographer ceriksson!)
Legendary Audi Quattro
Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution, a 100% stock example imported from Japan, and one of only 2,500 ever made. The Pajero Evo was developed for Paris-Dakar dominance, and features a 3.5L V6 with 275 hp, factory Recaro seats, widebody kit, double-wishbone suspension, and Torsen limited-slip differentials.
What says the 80’s more than Magnum P.I.’s Ferrari 308 GTSi
Ford Taurus SHO
My favourite of the Barrett-Jackson display, Buick Grand National
At Cobble Beach Classics booth, the BMW Z8 that caused quite the controversy when Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond drove one instead of the usual Aston Martin
1961 Mako Shark 1 Corvette
1971 Plymouth Cuda
Gentry Lane was showing three Lotus, my favourite of which was the Esprit
vs. the current Emira
Ferrari also brought three cars, including the Purosangue, the first ever four-door, four-seater car in Ferrari’s history. Oh and it will do 193 MPH with you and your three friends on board.
296 Speciale full of technology including a cool “extra boost” function available in the ‘Qualify’ eManettino setting that delivers a power boost when exiting corners to help reduce lap times.
12Cilindri, the latest iteration of Ferrari’s front-mounted V12 two-seater Grand Tourer.
More Italian beauties from Maserati including the stunning GT2 Stradale, which as the name suggests is the road legal version of the GT2 racecar and it will do 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.8 seconds.
Normally I would place Corvette in the “performance car” category but with its price, performance (1250HP, 0-60 in under 2 seconds, and 8.675 second quarter mile!), and Nürburgring record, the ZR1X certainly qualifies as an exotic! I believe the car on display is the actual ‘Ring record setter.
The same can be said of the Ford Mustang GTD, the first American production car to complete a sub-seven-minute lap on the Nürburgring.
The Mustang Dark Horse SC is about as close to a GTD as you can get. Its Track Pack carbon-fiber wing helps generate 620 pounds of rear downforce at 180 mph.
Performance Cars
I bet you didn’t expect the performance cars segment to start with a truck yet here we are!
The 2027 Dodge Ram 1500 SRT TRX is the fastest and most powerful production gas pickup truck in the world! The TRX features a supercharged 6.2-litre HEMI V-8, now delivering 777 horsepower and 680 lb.-ft. of torque and its performance numbers are impressive: 0-60MPH in 3.5, 0-100MPH in 10.0, and ¼ mile in 12.2.
On the downside, I don’t like the way the engine is covered and the fact that it is speed limited to 118 MPH (though in fairness, that is still best in class for the truck segment).
Interior
You sit pretty high
Yup, I would take one
And the most powerful gas engine SUV ever also from Dodge, the Durango SRT Hellcat Jailbreak. It will do 0-60 in 3.4 seconds!
And now for my biggest surprise of the show, the Nissan Armada Nismo! It was STUNNING in real life. In addition to all the usual Nismo go-fast upgrades, the Armada offers legit offroad capabilities with its first-ever PRO-4X grade, featuring all-terrain tires, an off-road-specific front bumper with an increased approach angle, underbody skid plates, an electronic locking differential and Adaptive Electronic Air Suspension.
Sorry but I much preferred the Armada Nismo to the Z Nismo
Another one of my favourite high performance SUVs, the Escalade-V
Cadillac also makes some of my favourite performance sedans, including the CT5-V Blackwing. I love how the sound system was playing Drake when I sat inside lol.
And CT4-V Blackwing
Cadillac F1 ® Team Replica Car wearing the Cadillac Formula 1® Team Barcelona Shakedown livery
Of course you cannot mention performance sedans without including BMW. Many of their M-models have gone PHEV but I prefer ICE so the M2 CS is my current favourite Bimmer. 523HP, 0-100 KPH in 3.8, and top speed of 302 KPH for this bad boy.
I just love the styling of the front end.
The fender flares are cool too
And the lightweight CFRP boot lid with integrated ducktail is awesome!
Another of my favourite performance sedans, Audi RS3
Audi Revolute F1 (R26) racecar
Toyota has an incredible lineup this year, winning 8 AutoTrader awards! I was most interested in their TRD and GR models and fortunately they were all on display at the show!
Tacoma TRD
The Corolla GR, my favourite Toyota, with 300HP 3-cylinder turbo engine and GR-FOUR front-to-rear adjustable all-wheel drive system.
Supra GR in a menacing matte black
I especially like the look of the bulging fender flares
The third car from the GR series, the GR86
Versus the shared platform Subaru BRZts Kaminari Edition
Someone in my neighborhood has a Hyundai Elantra N and I am not sure whether his exhaust is stock but it sounds pretty good so this car has grown on me a bit, especially in this TCR track ready configuration.
Turning now to offroad performance, last year I said the Jeep Willys was one of the nicest at the show. I am not sure I would say the same about the toxic green version lol
Another highly capable offroader, the Dilawri INEOS Grenadier. They brought both the station wagon
high on ceriksson’s list
and quartermaster
If that is still not enough, you could go full milspec lol
The CAF also had a Hercules engine on display!
As well as some Navy target drones (I think ceriksson has shot down a few of these lol)
The OPP also had several vehicles on display
lemme out!
Nice cart
ceriksson liked the bike
And now for some of the more unusual displays! Cool crash demo from Volvo
T-Rex 3-wheeler
Versus the 3-wheelers in the Micro Car display
This year’s LEGO car
Safety first
My favourite at the pop-up LEGO store
This year’s Hotwheels car, a Mercedes
With accompanying Mercedes Hotwheels on display
CLK-GTR was my favourite
Of course the show special model sold out fast
Ghostbusters car
Custom bikes from Kreater
Cool display of strikeglass
Quick shot of the main hall in the North building. The show spans 650,000 square feet across both the North and South buildings and has about 350,000 visitors per year.
I have been covering the Toronto International Boat Show for many years but this was my first time attending Media Preview Day. This pre-show event provides an opportunity for content-creators to get a sneak peak of the exhibits and speak with exhibitors prior to public access. Many exhibitors also take this opportunity to unveil their newest offerings.
I arrived super early and the (very media friendly!) organizers were kind enough to let me look around. It is always interesting to me to watch shows being set up as you really appreciate how much work goes into making a show happen!
Can’t wait to see the Boston Whaler booth after show opening
Tons of boating accessories and supplies were being set up as well
Huge loading docks
Ok now for the formal event! We met at The Lake to get a sneak peek of the Boat Show’s floating pickleball court and to watch competitors practice wakeboarding and e-foiling.
The wakeboarders use a zip-line…
…to get some air!
And ride the rails!
The e-foil rider should give you an idea of the “flying boat” we will see in a few minutes!
The floating pickle-ball court
We had the opportunity to give it a try (I like how she has a microphone in one hand while playing lol)
Next a guided tour with five new boat introductions!
First up, the Canadian debut of Regal’s 2026 43’ SAV or “sport-activity vessel” featuring an innovative electronic “fold-out” hull that expands the boat’s entertainment square footage to do more fishing, diving, and lounging.
The rep filling us in on the features of the boat, such as the OceanTrac2 hull, designed for outstanding handling and a smooth, dry ride even in challenging offshore conditions.
We were given the opportunity to embark however I did not do so
You can see another cool feature of this boat here, the GarmRest, which as the name suggests is an armrest with integrated Garmin displays. This totally reminds me of Captain Kirk and the USS Enterprise!!
A glimpse of the full-beam stateroom through the porthole
Now on to the boat I was most looking forward to, the Nor-Tech 4000 Roadster! So happy this was part of Media Preview Day! Brace yourself for a ton of Nor-Tech pics!
Nor-Tech got out of the cat segment in 2015 to focus on v-bottoms and came back this year with a vengeance! The 4000 Roadster is the most powerful, fastest outboard in its class with its quad Mercury Racing 500R outboard setup (2000 HP)!
This time I did not pass on the opportunity to embark so the Salomon Toundra’s came off lol
The captain’s view
Comfortable, supportive seating
Which are needed considering the max speed!
The boat combines this high performance with cockpit seating for 8 plus two aft facing lounges, a small cabin, and even an enclosed head with shower!
In case you couldn’t tell, I love it! Yes, I liked it way more than the centre-console Nor-Techs I have seen in the past.
How would you like this in your rearview mirror?
I spent so much time with the Nor-Tech that I missed Le Boat’s introduction so apologies for that. By way of background, Le Boat is the world’s largest luxury houseboat rental company with a fleet of over 900 boats including 34 in Canada. Le Boat offers a new way to staycation and cruise in your own private houseboat along popular boating destinations such as the Trent-Severn Waterway and Rideau Canal – no boat license required. I will aim to visit their booth when I go back during the show.
Next up, the North American debut of the ENVGO NV1, a Canadian-made hydrofoiling ‘flying’ boat!
Always exciting to see the covers coming off
Also cool to see the hydrofoils deploying
The company founder giving us the details about his design. The NV1, is a zero-emission 25ft electric-powered hydrofoiling cruiser with AI-assisted control technology. The hydrofoil technology lifts the hull above the water, dramatically reducing drag and extending range up to four times that of conventional electric boats. It is said to feel like flying, which the boat will do at 80 kph with a 100 km range on a single charge. NV1’s self-stabilizing avionics make 250 automated foil adjustments per second to ensure a smooth, controlled flight. Really cool! And as he says, “No pilot’s licence required” lol.
Last but certainly not least as it is one of the largest boats on display at the show, the Absolute 48’ Coupe.The boat’s design allows for some the highest below-deck ceiling heights for its three cabins, 360 electronic panorama windows (including opening side windows) for uninterrupted views, and a strong commitment to sustainability with a solar-panelled transparent roof.
After the guided tour and new introductions, we were given the opportunity to roam the show. I headed straight for some of my returning favourites, like the Police boats!
Toronto Police Marine Unit’s Zodiac Hurricane
Equipped for rescue for all ages
Ontario Provincial Police Boston Whaler
Another one of my recurring favourites that I have covered in detail in past reviews, the Hewescraft Alaskan
More fine boats from Hewescraft
I have always liked the look of Rossiter
The 14’ Day boat looked great in this colour combo of antique white, midnight blue, and navy blue.
The Hudson Bay inspired 17’ Runabout was my favourite
Ranger Tugs always look stunning in person. No matter which size, I would say they have a “commanding presence.”
I will end my Media Preview Day coverage with a “squirrel” moment. I wasn’t expecting to cover the Grady White booth but this one (I believe from the Freedom line) really caught my eye. Wow that looks great in all white! I will definitely go back during the show to get more info.
In fact, all their boats look great
I even liked their chairs! Lol
Once again thank you to the show organizers for the opportunity to attend Media Preview Day. I really appreciate how well you treat media!
The show opened to the public today and I will be back later in the week for more coverage.
Show Day
My objectives for attending the show were to: 1) revisit my favourite boats from Media Preview Day for a more in-depth look 2) check out booths of interest that weren’t ready on Media Day 3) explore the rest of the show. Toward that end, I was accompanied by cericksson who did all the video walk-throughs and helped me out on the still shots.
As I mentioned, I missed the LeBoat media presentation and promised to visit them at the show so they were our first stop. There is no better way for me to explain what they do than for you to hear it directly from the source in this video.
Thanks again to the rep for the walk-through
In terms of re-visiting my favourite boats, I will share the walk-throughs of the Nor-Tech 4000 and Hewescraft Alaskan now and come back to the Police Zodiac Hurricane later on in this review.
The Nor-Tech 4000 Roadster
Hewescraft Alaskan 250 HT
I have always said the Alaskan would be the perfect boat to hunt Jaws
As I covered in previous reviews, you can steer it from the rear
I prefer the Captain’s chair. I just love the raw feel of this boat!
Offering a similar feel, Stanley aluminum boats
I have always liked the utilitarian concept of their landing boats
I don’t recall seeing Alumacraft boats in such a black finish before ut I like it!
I wanted to get more pics of some of the Smoker Craft boats but there were too many people blocking my shots lol
Last year I was quite smitten with Kawasaki’s Angler dedicated fishing jetski and now I see that Sea-Doo offers one as well!
Sea Doo also had a really interesting pontoon designed for fishing, the Switch Fish! Honestly, I am really not a fan of pontoons but this one was very cool! I dare say a “tactical pontoon” lol
In contrast to the more typical pontoons (of which there were MANY at the show!)
If you prefer fishing with a bit more luxury, Kingfisher had two boats on display
And of course many options from the “unsinkable” Boston Whaler
Including fishing boats and express cruisers like the stunning Realm!
Dauntless
Lots of high end boats on display at Pride Marine Group
Including Frauscher
Nimbus
Chris Craft
I like the way they showed this Scout
A Porsche Fearless on display by Pfaff
Four Winns (wish I spent more time at their booth)
Formula
Lots of vintage boats on display as well
That should give you a flavour of the 1000+ boats on display. Really there was something for everyone, even kayaks/canoes
And boat motors of all sizes
And now we get to my favourite part of the show, the “tactical” lol.
After years of drooling over the Zodiac MilPros on display by various police agencies, I finally got the chance to board one!
Safety first lol (we didn’t fully adjust the PFD, more on that in a minute)
Second only to meeting Reggie Fountain at the Toronto Boat Show years ago, this was my favourite boat show memory!
I love the Hurricane! I would be just as happy with one of my “dream” boats the Zodiac MilPro FC470 inflatable
I picked up a TPS Marine Unit beanie to show my support. Thanks again for letting me onboard!
Civilian Zodiacs
Coming back to the PFD, I was hoping that one of the retailers would have a Salus SAR 660 for me to try on. Even better, Salus had their own booth! I believe Salus is the only Canadian manufacturer of PFDs and they do supply many law enforcement units.
They had all three of their SAR vests, the 660 Operations, 770 Technician, and 880 Commander!
Perhaps I could pick up a matching red Helly Hansen Svolvaer Sou’Wester (I already have one in yellow…great piece of kit!)
Or if you need more shelter…how about a Plastimo Transocean 6?
Of course, you will need a good light from Fenix for your survival and SAR efforts
Their new CL27R lantern should do the trick. With a maximum brightness of 1600 lumens this lantern features a combination of floodlight, spotlight, spot-and-floodlight, + red light and a 360° rotating magnetic handle so it can be used for large-area lighting, long-range illumination, and alerting.
Many of the Fenix lights offer multiple light sources (e.g. white, UV, red) and light effects (e.g. strobe, red/blue flash etc.). We looked at the E06R keychain light and its larger version, the E06R Pro
Ultimately I went with the TK05R, a pocket-sized high-candela (50,600) light with 1000 Lumens and 450M throw!
Meanwhile, ceriksson chose the SW05R-RED Multipurpose Clip-on Light, which has a maximum output of 150 lumens, a beam distance of 39 meters, and a 200° adjustable light head angle
Good binoculars are also important pieces of kit and you know I love Steiner (courtesy of Radioworld)
And now for another episode of “I see knives (and guns) everywhere”, Watillery!!
We got try them out and that gatling gun was even cooler than it looks!
I liked the “misting sword” as well!
ceriksson looking Operator AF with the MP5
The perfect vehicle for your Stanley landing boat, the RAD Tracker RT5 from the makers of the world’s fastest tracked Amphibian
Or the smaller RT2 with its land speed of 137 km/hr!
Thank you once again to all the exhibitors and organizers for putting on a great show and the hospitality from ceriksson and I.
The obligatory swag pics
The Food
Since many people ask, here is a recap of my show meals.
After Media Preview Day, I went to Brazen Head Pub in Liberty Village for a Bushmills Irish Whiskey Chicken & Kale Pot Pie
And the had my favourite drink, Screwball, which is now also bottled in Ontario
At show day, I had a smoked meat sandwich from the Pickles Deli food stand
After the show we went to The West Cork to try their new Hot Wing Challenge. It is a timed challenge that you have to do in 10 min with no extinguishers in between to get them free of charge. The last wing is claimed to be in the 6-8 million SHU range. Here is the full vid of me doing the challenge.
And washed down the wings with Cops Donuts flavour of the week, Maple Chestnut with Sage
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.
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