VTF gauge

I own a number of digital scales. For me, the Shure (which I remember using as far back as the 70s) is easily the worst.
Then there is a very common stylus force gauge made in China and rebranded by everyone from Acoustech ($79 at Acoustic Sounds), Audio Additives ($49 at Music Direct ) to, well you name it, which is pretty bad providing wildly differing results within seconds of each other (Issues with magnets in lomcs?). I purchased a few different versions of that model. They were all unreliable.
Unhappy with the above, I purchased a Clearaudio Weight Watcher which was better but awkward to use in my set up and also did not measure the stylus force at the level of a record on the turntable. (The new version appears to have been improved with a measuring spot.) Finally, I purchased an Ortofon DS-3 which does everything right at what appears to be the average thickness of a record on the table. Expensive--but worth it.

Following in to Mijo, I would say that after you’ve set VTA, then you set VTF with the weigh pan set at the level of the surface of an LP. That’s in the best case.

What about the prices? There are some Ortofon products which
are made in Japan. I assume that Japan need to pay licence
rights to Ortofon . But chakster paid $ 30 for his Japanese DS1
while I paid 139 euro for my . In E. Union we need to pay 13% 
import duty + 21% VAT (Holland; 19%  Germany) . So we try
to buy European products in Europe. Gpgr mentioned China with
even lower prices than Japanese. I don't understand such price
differences . Anyway not In the so called ''global economy'' .

Similarly to what Nandric reports, about 70% of shoppers in Japanese shopping centers in Tokyo are Chinese, based on my observations. Ironically, they are primarily buying clothing made in China. I’ve asked several Chinese people about this phenomenon. Mostly they agree, shrug, and don’t say much.

I have a beautiful beam-balance metric scale guaranteed accurate to 0.01 gram. The only problem is that I have to dismount my arm to adjust tracking force. The balance is a double tray affair in a wood and glass case that's about 18 inches wide, 12 inches high and 9 inches deep. All the balance weights are placed in the "weight" pan using forceps manipulated via lever from outside the case. Having to put the arm inside the case to measure stylus force is a bit of a pain.

Seriously, people, the Shure SFG-2 guage metal has been aluminum for ages, thus not susceptible to problems with MC cartridges. I'll also admit that the Riverstone Audio digital scale is more convenient to use.