At last year’s Montreal Audiofest I was fortunate to attend an amazing pre-show media event. This year I attended two of them!
First up, the Harman event for a preview of the latest and greatest from Denon, Bowers & Wilkins, and Marantz.
We started with an introduction to the latest iterations of the Denon Home wireless speakers, the 200, 400, and 600, all powered by HEOS. The speakers vary in the number, size, and direction (e.g. forward or top firing) of drivers.
Here is a sound sample of the 600.
Next, the Nautilus! I have been wanting to hear these for a long time!
We heard 3 or 4 tracks. Of course, my favourite was the punchiest.
BTW note how the Nautilus were finished in McLaren Volcano Yellow
We also had the opportunity to try B&W headphones and check out the rest of their expansive lineup
All to a nice backdrop of Beatles paraphernalia including Hollywood stars made by the actual artist!
I didn’t stay for this preview as I attended the Abbey Road unveiling a few months ago.
More from Marantz and Denon
On to the Gentec event for the latest from Klipsch, Onkyo, Teac, Pro-ject, Musical Fidelity, and Wiim.
I arrived just in time for the intro to the Klipsch Fives II, Sevens II, and Nines II powered bookshelf speakers, which is perfect as those are what I was most anxious to see!
I would definitely go with the Nines so was happy they demo’d those…awesome song too!
I was also happy to audition the Heresy. They played the same song as the Nautilus demo and it was great to hear how much bang for the buck you get with the Klipsch in comparison.
I heard the KlipschHorns last year but this time it was powered by the Flagship Musical Fidelity NuVista system. 2 x PAM mono blocks, 1 x PRE preamplifier and all with separate balanced power supplies. Musical Fidelity M6XDAC with a WiiM Ultra streamer.
Home theatre system (also heard this last year).
Musical fidelity
Awesome tape decks from Teac!
All done with the media events it was time for the show! Can you guess where I went first? If you have read my past reviews, you would know it was Acora! Especially since I saw on social media that they were bringing back the VRC!!!
Some static displays outside the room.
Now if the VRCs weren’t insane enough, imagine being paired with six REL subwoofers!!!!
And incredible Audio Research!
Listening through my headphones there is no way I did this system justice as the bass was ASTONISHING in person! (no distortion)
And you knew I had to clear the room hahaha
Val you are the best!!!
Next, I stopped in to see my good friends at Bliss Acoustics!
In addition to their usual awesome lineup of J. Sikora, Nagra, Gryphon, and Kroma, I was looking forward to checking out Aries Cerat.
Great to see Dragan and Rene!
I meant to go back for a sound demo/vid but it was a short visit to the show (more on that later).
Joseph Crowe had one of, if not the best, room at Toronto Audiofest (indeed a lot of people agreed on that). This time they had a much bigger room to really let the system breath.
French song for Montreal
Next, I went to Monitor to see if they brought back the Hyphn. No luck on that front but I have to say the Platinum 200 sounded AMAZING! I am telling you, all Monitor products are great.
Ok now for my biggest surprise of the show, JBL Summit series! I was NOT expecting that!
MACO had one of the nicest rooms at Toronto Audiofest…once again they look great!
Based on online reviews, I was really looking forward to auditioning the Dutch & Dutch 8c. I wish I had more time to go back with requests as the sample playing did not give me the full flavour.
Now for some EARVANA ! I tried the Forte Ears Macbeth at Toronto Audiofest and I loved everything about them including the look, feel, and definitely the sound!
The Noble Audio Shogun is equally stunning! And very in line with my other hobbies.
love the tsuka-ito design on the wire
Of course, I had to give them a listen!
They sounded great! In retrospect, I wish I did a side-by-side comparison vs. the Forte as they use different approaches. As it stands, I would be happy with either.
While in the EARVANA/market section, I came across these artists who make household items/art out of old records!
I picked up a Deep Purple bowl
Ok back to audio rooms with Altitudo Audio. I loved that gigantic Burmester Reference 909 Mk5 amp!
You know I love Michell turntables
SVS home theatre
Bryston
Wynn Audio
Eversolo Motet
Grimm Audio
Lemay Audio
Rega
Solen
I started Toronto Audiofest with my best experience, Vincent Belanger playing alongside Audionote and I will end the same way here! This time I got a better seat and recorded all three songs in their entirety.
Spectacular!
I picked up Vincent’s newest CD. Thanks for the autograph!
And that’s a wrap on my coverage! Don’t misinterpret the brevity as an indication of anything about the show. I am once again doing three shows in three different cities back-to-back so can’t be quite as comprehensive as if I was covering this show only. As such, apologies to the rooms I could not cover.
To recap my highlights (this time in no particular order)
The Toronto Sportsmen’s Show started off with some great news! The Supreme Court just announced they will take up the CCFR’s case, effectively putting the confiscation on hold. I caught Tracey for a quick pic before she headed to some media interviews.
Later in the day I also met Conservative MP Blaine Calkins, a strong supporter of the shooting community.
I also met Premier Doug Ford and told him that I hope he meant what he said about the recent home invasion case and that he should protect legal gun owners like Saskatchewan is doing.
It was also great to finally meet Hunter Chef Michael! I have been to his restaurant Antler but we never met. I appreciate his opinion piece on C21 that was published in media.
More good gun news, there were lots of new ones at the show! Actually, not just new guns but also new distributors and new ranges like Down Range Shooting Sports. Range Arts, who is collaborating with Down Range had one of my favourite guns of the show, this tricked out Henry Homesteader! It looks super cool in real life like the love child of a Homesteader and Kriss Vector lol. Yes, it takes Glock mags!
Another cool new offering on the Canadian market, a Glock mag fed lever action from Sterling Arms! The mag release and trigger are “like” an AR15 while the safety is a crossbolt.
JR walked me through all the details
Introducing Magnus and Sons, our newest distributor for amazing brands like Anschutz, TacSol, and SBI!
Anschutz, as you may know, makes high end precision rimfires, we are talking Olympic level!
I liked the G-28. And if you noticed the price, consider they have some that are even double of that!
Spectre Ballistics is a bit more “tactical” and known for their light weight. Love that drum mag on the superlite ST-22
ST-22 Precision
I have shot TacSol before and always said if I were to get a .22LR rifle, it would be a TacSol.
The X-Ring with Magpul stock
And the takedown version with Magpul Backpacker stock
With Boyd’s Forest Camo Hardwood Laminated stock (felt like more of a benchrest gun given the width of the fore-end).
And my personal favourite, the PRS gun with KRG chassis!! Yup, this is the one for me!
Ok now on the huge O’Dell Engineering display of Bergara and Canuck.
Bergara is now offering mag fed versions of their popular rifles that make it easier to walk in the bush with your firearm unloaded and quickly pop in a mag when needed.
note the left-hander
rimfires
Wranglers
Including a new Trapper variant
Some new variants of the TACOP Pro shotgun
As you probably guessed, I love the gold
The more affordable Elite Operator
Shotgun revolver that shoots .410 AND .45 LC! BTW, I should mention that when O’Dell brings such things to the Canadian market, they go through three iterations, meaning the manufacturer sends a prototype to O’Dell who take it apart and re-spec the parts and send it back. The process then repeats two more times.
Canuck pump action shotguns
And over-unders
O’Dell really covers the shotgun spectrum
Now on to Tactical Imports for the shotgun I was really anxious to see, a Canada legal version inspired by the Benelli M3! That’s right, switchable from pump to semi!
Tom bought one on the spot!
That’s not a mag, THAT’S a mag!
Also from Axor, the super popular .410 revolver shotgun. I believe the micro sold-out in 48 hours and there was a waiting list sign-up at the show!
I believe the Axor FS-Pro was a military over-run
Another interesting new gun, the KOFS Triple Barrel Shotgun
Some real fire breathers from Sulun arms
Sulun also makes a revolver shotgun
Tactical Imports is also the distributor of Extrema Ratio knives and I was anxious to check those out as well.
First the fixed blades. The Numen was quite impressive!
The Herring commemorative dagger was my favourite fixed blade.
Though the MISERICORDIA, their take on the Benchmade SOCP, was also super cool.
Now on to the folding knives
The MH-STEALTH was developed in collaboration with the operators of the Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK) and the Gemeinschaft Deutscher Kommandosoldaten. It kinda feels like a folding version of the SOCP to me.
Cool red scales
I like so many of the Extrema Ration folders (like the RAO variants) but ultimately the Glauca G1 GSG9 is my favourite
Operator AF
The business end of a Russian DSHK 12.7 mm, brought to you by Gagnon Sports!
Adam did an amazing job organizing a recent Shoot ‘N Show. Reach out to him for your shooting needs.
More high end military hardware, the Cold War era FRF2 at Uxbridge Arms
Victory Ridge Sports had a nice selection of shotguns and boltguns
“Can” you tell which was my favourite? Of course it was the Maple Ridge Armoury Maverick! (“can” you see what I did there?)
Hold and Point Mounts makes a gun wall mounting system for your Airsoft, paintball and Nerf
I found something to match my shirt!
Nerf muzzle
Vs. Airsoft muzzle
When it comes to archery, Excalibur and Bowtech always bring the heat! I recently covered the Excalibur Hybrid X, the first compound crossbow from Excalibur in 20 years at another event. This time they were introducing a TAKEDOWN version of the RevX, the TD!
The Quick-Loc Technology lets you disassemble and reassemble in seconds with a button pull
It also stows neatly in the included Explore Take-Down Utility Soft Case
The Bowtech Alliance was voted “ATA Best New Bow” and is chock full of technology. It is super light (just over 4 pounds) and delivers 338 FPS.
I like the customizable GripLock, especially after I learned that the adjustments are not to fit hand size (as I mistakenly thought) rather they provide the ability to fine-tune grip angle with a simple Allen wrench.
The Ascend is also new from Bowtech and is meant to be a serious bowhunting option in a more affordable package.
Speaking of archery, I like that there was a range set up at the show
Puma Knives and Brave The Wilderness are always a star attraction for those looking for knives, this year even more so with their most expansive range of offerings yet! Indeed, their product lines have an international flair with Puma and Otter from Germany, Svord from New Zealand, and Joker from Spain.
Let’s start with Puma
I liked the Hunt to Survive edition
Happy to see the General back in stock
Next, Otter.
I picked up a Mercator last year, now they are available in different scale colours/materials with and without clips.
the 05 buckhorn has a very unique lever lock
Next, Joker
While I do like stag handles, in this case the Nomad and Norizo were my favourites
Now Svord
The Black Flag Bowie is exactly my type of knife with its 13.5” blade lol
I also really liked the look and feel of the Kiwi filet knives
Last but certainly not least, a knife designed by Hewitt Custom Millwork who made the walnut handle and leather sheath for the blade made in Germany.
I am a big fan of thumb ramps so glad to see one here. It fits great in the hand.
Available in several scale colours with leather or kydex
The Toronto Sportsmen’s Show has a huge hall dedicated to fishing and I usually don’t cover it as I am not really into fishing. Still people ask me about it and every year I intend to do some coverage but don’t get around to it. Well this year I am officially dipping my toe so to speak into the water!
And what better way to start than with St. Croix, reputed to be some of the best fishing rods in the world!
I learned a lot during my visit to their booth, such as the need for power, flexibility, sensitivity, the different types of rods you would need for freshwater, saltwater, and ice etc. so thanks to the reps.
I looked at the top of the line Legend Xtreme
I was immediately blown away at how light it felt especially considering the 7’ length but the flexibility of the carbon fiber was even more impressive
Again, different rods for different applications and here is the Legend Xtreme next to the Mojo-Musky. I liked the GRASP II (what I would call a “pistol grip” lol) which was actually designed by St. Croix and found exclusively on their rods. The patent-pending grip has three interchangeable trigger options – a full-sized palming trigger, a smaller, standard-sized casting trigger, or no trigger. You can swap between these without tools.
Next the Legend X2
to give you a sense of the height
Thanks again to the rep who caught a record breaking Bigmouth Buffalo at 24.45LBS
Moving on to optics, there were some great options for night vision. I have looked through night vision in the past but I have to say the latest generations are insane. You can pretty much see the person’s skull!
Pulsar had some great monoculars and binoculars
I tried the top of the line DXT50
This is what you would typically see
Next some weapon and helmet mount night vision from Cold Harbour Supply
Mmmm quads
I tried the red SAR helmet mounted set…just so awesome! I wish I could get a pic to show you what the night vision looks like.
Next a visit to Vortex to see their incredibly expansive line of optics
I wanted to have a closer look at their line of handgun red-dots
I looked at the Defender XL and ST and learned about the differences between an enclosed and open design
And now for my biggest surprise of the show, the new AMG® 1-10×24 FFP, yours for $6,400! I believe the British Military is using these and I urge you to watch the video on Vortex’s website that gives you the background on “Project Eleanor”.
One of the super cool features, Dual Zero Turrets that allow you to switch zeros for suppressed, unsuppressed, long- or short-range loads.
Again, an amazing show discovery!
Great to see Army Issue Surplus back at the show. I was just at their retail store about a month ago and picked up another surplus PR-24 like the MANY he had available at the show.
I also picked up another TK05R from Fenix, though this time it was for a gift.
Fur is always a big attraction at the show whether taxidermy or fur products for wear. SCI had an interesting display set up in a mobile unit.
The warthog was definitely my favourite
More taxidermy at the show
Last year I put my hand in a trap at the Ontario Fur Managers Federation booth, this year they had a 3D printed version to try
Beautiful fur clothing from Cahill’s
Nice to see Nanuk back at the show and I am glad they brought cases with Guard Dog knife inserts
I had a great chat with Tactical Distributors Canada who had Altama footwear and their Bullfrogs overshoes on display. TDC represents many other brands such SPY Standard Issue, First Tactical, Cobra Cuffs, Hero’s Pride, Safety Jogger Works, and Original SWAT.
The Tavor 7 used to display Silent Dry anti-rust chamber safety plug and dummy rounds drew A LOT of attention!
Hopefully that gives you a sense of how many great things there were to see at the show! I spent the whole day there (thanks for the early access) and could have gone back if I didn’t have to fly out for Montreal Audiofest and the Quebec Sportsmen’s Show.
Let’s stay optimistic about the CCFR’s case in the Supreme Court and maybe we will see some old familiar guns back at the show next year.
The CKG Shoot ‘N Show 2026 is an incredible multi-faceted event that combines knifemakers, vendors, collectors, and shooting, hosted by Gagnon Sports!
While the name is Shoot ‘N Show, I will start with the show part and save the shooting for the end lol.
Nicolas Bayley formerly of Farmboy Customs has branched out on his own under the Black Coffin Knives banner. Nicolas is known for using unique handle and sheath materials.
He has now added laser engraving to his repertoire as showcased on this piece!
Great to see Casey Belli of Belli Custom Metal again! I like the look and the feel of his knives and was thrilled to actually win one at another show!
My favourite was the Khukuri, which again felt great in the hand with its handle inspired by a bird shape, and I also liked this tanto
Perhaps best of all the cleavers with shoulder rigs!
Indeed, the cleavers were very popular with attendees
Always great to see Cam Lymburner
Known for his kitchen knives
and big blades with a super light feel, such as this work in progress Damascus beauty
Cam is branching out into other designs such as these chisel woodworking knives. Hmmmm, I think I need a blunt breeching version.
Speaking of breeching tools, I liked the prototype Beaver Tooth pry tool
Cam also had a bunch of blades designed to fit into Buffalo Bones Sneaky Pete wallets (you will see one in a minute)
Including some fancy versions
Ceriksson wasted no time in picking up one of these
Next we headed over to Buffalo Bones to get some sheaths made for his new knife. There is no better in leather than Buffalo Bones!
This is the Sneaky Pete pocket wallet/knife sheath that I mentioned
However, ceriksson opted for simple pocket slips in leather and Kydex. Yes Seamus is now doing Kydex sheaths as well!
Next a check in with my good friend Todd Bolce
Todd has been doing a lot of Cerakote lately, such as this lovely green
I liked his Titanium prybar!
Justin Dale of Matethi Custom Knives
Holding a knife very inspired by the event’s Pirate theme
The little shiv was my personal favourite
Malcolm Stewart is so versatile! From conventional knives to Almarada daggers to the positive medieval like a Mace and crossbow!
The Mace was my favourite
Versus a more modern breeching tool, my Strider CR Crash Axe
Awesome big Seax from Adam Mayer Knives
I also liked the little neck arrowhead shaped survival tool
Also really cool, the mini Higonokami that Adam made using Damasucs steel that he forged at Paul Savage’s shop
Big selection from Phil’s EDC
The Busse Battle Mistress was definitely my favourite here!
I have seen Movie Armament Group at other shows but I think this was by far the best assortment of items they have shown! So many incredible pieces.
Some of my favourites were this umbrella
Ballistic knife (you may remember this in The Punisher)
And if that is not ballistic enough, how about a revolver knife!
The business end
Though perhaps my absolute favourite was in this display. Can you guess which one?
Ninja hand spikes! These brought back so many memories lol
Streamlight brought all their newest lights
Such as the The ProTac® Rail Mount VIR Pro, a gun-mounted tactical light featuring visible white light along with IR illumination that can easily be changed via the head-mounted switch. It has a cutoff that prevents unintentional visible illumination when operating in IR mode. In High Mode the visible light has 1,100 lumens; 40,000 candela peak beam intensity; and 400m beam distance.
The PolyTac® 1X is a compact, tactical flashlight with a rugged polymer body and rocky stipple grip texture. It offers a max 500 lumens, 18,000 max candela and a beam distance of 268 meters
Their latest handgun light, the TLR-3®X delivers 500 lumens, 6,500 candela, and 161 meter throw in a very economical package.
The ProTac® Rail Mount 1L-X is a compact, multi-fuel, high-output tactical light designed for short-barreled rifles and carbines. In high setting it offers 850 lumens; 30,000 candela; 346m beam distance.
Originally mounted on the left with a pressure switch, I asked to swap sides just for pics. This was done in a few seconds and you can easily operate the light without a pressure switch
I took advantage of show specials and picked up a Steamlight Wedge SL
The rep for Kershaw knives also brought a great selection
My favourites of which were the Blur in Kings Camo
and Shoreline Bass
Last but not least among the vendors, some fine packs from Bowman Gear
I liked the MCB
Would you be surprised that ceriksson picked up one of these as well? Lol
Ok moving on to collectors…
James brought last year’s CKG knife design winner, the prototype serial #0!
As well as the first knife he ever made (at Morgan Koens shop)
Chris’s fantastic collection
I liked the Japanese take-down kwaiken
Lots of Pickle Kutterz
I liked the folder! (ceriksson has one on order!)
Some pickle kutterz with their knives!
My Strider CR Crash Axe was pretty popular…ceriksson
Bigjay!!!
Micaeli
Axes seemed to be a thing, with not one but THREE Winkler Sayocs and an RMJ!
The Jack Carr cross lol
And from a Canadian author
Now on to shooting! This incredible display of TacOrd shotguns is a sign of good things to come
To the range!
I went straight for the TacOrd lol
I had shot this 1301 at a previous event and loved it so much that I wanted to shoot it again
It is a laser
fitting that I wore a red shrt
I was also super thrilled to finally shoot a Troy PAR! I have been wanting to try one of these for a long time! I loved it!
I am sure I can get better groups with more time on it
We ran into Micaeli on the range, about to shoot the S&W 500
I think she liked it! First shot went in the 9 ring too!
Second shot
Good shootin
Micaeli also shot (and liked) the Troy PAR
Now for some sights from the show and its Pirate theme
Even the muffins were skulls!
A good match for my Emerson Gypsy Jack
Steady stream of people
A few prize draws
And my swag from the show
Fantastic job by Adam and crew at Gagnon in putting this event on. I think the combination of displays with live shooting worked out really well. As always, CKG members bring the fire, thanks so much for sharing your incredible collections!
Harley-Davidson always has a huge presence at this show so I often start or end my reviews with them. This year is no different lol. So here we go with Harley!
Baggers seemed to be the theme as they brought a lot of them! Case in point, all CVO bikes this year are part of the Grand American Touring line!
CVO Road Glide ST
CVO Street Glide
CVO Street Glide ST
I really liked the red windscreen
Really cool track-ready suspension featuring adjustable front inverted forks with DLC-coated sliders and rear remote-reservoir shocks!
Don’t recall seeing carbon fiber trim on a Harley before!
CVO Street Glide Limited
There is even a CVO trike, the Street Glide 3!
Non CVO Road Glides and Street Glides
My absolute favourite bike of the show (and maybe ever), the Police Road Glide!!!
I was definitely wearing the right hat
The programmable red and blue lights are integrated into the fairing while rear lights mount to the Tour-Pak luggage carrier. Together they can function as sequential left, right, or combined directional arrows. I was also told they are insanely bright!
Controls for the factory installed siren allow Officers to choose power and tone and even link the horn button to fire the siren air horn! The system shuts off the siren automatically with the lights or when the kickstand is lowered!
I need one of these to go with my dream Zodiac MilPro Hurricane police boat
ceriksson liked it too
More Police bikes, from the OPP
And if you think Harleys don’t move fast enough to be Police bikes, check out these demos! The sound is incredible!
Now you cant talk about Harley without mentioning the Terminator’s bike, the Fat Boy.
Per tradition, I always get a pic of me on a Fat Boy at every bike show.
Honda also had a huge presence at this show. I liked the Ben Young CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP with its well worn slicks.
versus a new stock CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP
ceriksson liked this one too
The CBR6650R with new e-clutch
The Africa Twin is my favourite from Honda
The black paint is nice
But I prefer the classic red/white
Even better, a rally spec
Custom NX500
I liked the lights on the Rebel 1100 Touring
Moving on to beautiful Italian bikes, not one but two MV Agusta Superveloce
The lighting did not do justice to this black Brutale, which certainly lived up to its name in a menacing black
ceriksson liked this one the best
Much better in all black than blue/silver
Dragster
Both Ducati Canada and GP Bikes had Ducati on display
Ducati Streetfighter v4
Ducati Panigale
Ducati Monster
If you find stock Ducati too subtle, check out these stunning track monsters from OPP Racing
A couple of Moto Guzzi, including a V7 Special
and V100
Aprilia RSV4
and Tuareg Rally
Huge range of bikes from Triumph from the tiny TXP-12
To the monstrous Rocket 3 Storm GT
Street Triple 765 RX
Trident
Thruxton 400
Scrambler 1200XE
Bonneville Bobber
KTM 990 RC R
A sea of blue from Yamaha
YZF R1
BMW
S1000RR
I didn’t take pics of the stock GS series so here are some in their more natural state
More modified BMW GS
Kove
Not sure how you sit on this one
Beachman ’64 e-bike
Signed helmet from one of the riders at Isle of Man
MT Helmets had a huge selection, I liked these two
Great to see my friends from Mad Hatter Industries. The veteran owned/operated apparel company is also very into bikes and had their own custom on display in addition to being part of the Harley demo riding team.
So there you go, not quite as big or as many special editions as last year but the Harley Road Glide Police made up for it.
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.
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