I use a food scale that measures in grams.

The importance of weight gives a true sense of what the cymbal's gonna do sound wise. Grams just work better than ounces 'cos face it- cymbals are not large enough to express in pounds or even ounces.

Weight is only one of many factors that make a cymbal sound the way it does. I think people overestimate what it really means, especially when they can't play the cymbal themselves. Here's a pretty good overview of what characteristics influence a cymbal's sound.

There are great cymbals heavy and thin alike, and just because two cymbals share the same weight doesn't mean they'll sound the same, or sound good. If it were that easy, there'd be a lot more cymbalsmiths in the world (or maybe less?), and everyone would play circle-punched sheet metal!

Ignore any dogmatic adherence to this weight or that, this brand or that, and let your ears choose.

The oz. is plenty specific enough for the wt of a cymbal.

For the OP - The difference lies in the units of measure. Grams are metric (SI) units and ounces are standard. Though the US has in fact adopted the SI units, they have yet to integrate them. Therein lies the rub for you. As a product of the modern educational system, you most likely lack the true foundational schema to grasp what it is hanging you up. When you see the gram values, it's nothing more than a conversion away from ounces. Don't fret it. It means nothing but wt.

No, you're right about that. In general, I have found a heavier cymbal is suitable for louder music and a lighter cymbal is better for acoustic music. I'd pass on many lighter weight cymbals for a metal gig, the inverse is true of an unplugged acoustic gig. This blues/R&B/funk gig is requiring lighter weight cymbals for a more vintage sound, for example; however- I am not going to toss my heavier cymbals, especially for larger venues.

But ears ARE the best for figuring out whether or not you want a cymbal. This is why I am loathe to buy cymbals online (though I have based on several sound samples).

there are about 28 grams per ounce. grams have become usefull in cymbal parlance because they are more precise, almost 3 times more precise than tenths of ounces and of course, many cymbals ,originating outside of the U.S. would originally have been weighed in grams. even by the time Sabian got rolling, Canada was a metric country.

weights give a rough value of the style of cymbal and a more precise value when compared to other cymbals made the same way; that's all. ultimately, one must play the instrument or have played another very similar one. it takes aa bit of experience in order to choose a cymbal based on weight alone.

As much as I love English measurements, metrics are better for precise measurements!!!! I have been a metrics guy for many years, mainly due to my tenure in the bicycle business!!!!

... and that whole European connection ...

I learnt the Metrics when it was transitioning to metrics.

Just makes sense to me.

...so you had what you needed and liked...

...until a salesperson bamboozled you into giving up your old cymbals because the new ones had some "magical property" you don't understand. My friend, you have just experienced being a "consumer".

It seems to me this thread shouldn't be about the metric system. It should be about what steps you can take next to get cymbals you like.

You need to fix the problem created by the advice of the salesmen. First step, don't take advice from salesmen on this problem.

Why not find out what sort of cymbals you used to have and liked? Talk to the nice folks around here and try to pin them down: brand and model and size. Then go buy some old cymbals to replace the other ones.

Just a thought.