Comparing Japanese knives, coffee and tea gear, cameras and turntables

Roundups of gyuto, santoku and yanagiba knives, V60 drippers and grinders, teapots and matcha whisks, Sony cameras and headphones, turntables, and Japanese pens and pencils for the desk.

Wash and dry a carbon steel knife right after each use.

Carbon steel can spot or rust if water sits on it, so check the product page for the steel type before you buy and keep a towel nearby.

Where the roundups live

Kitchen

Knives from gyuto to yanagiba, sharpening stones, cutting boards, teapots and rice cookers.

Electronics

Sony cameras and headphones, turntables and amps, plus air purifiers and hair dryers.

Lifestyle

Japanese pens, pencils, markers, calligraphy brush pens and insulated water bottles.

Pour-over coffee

V60 drippers side by side, with separate posts on filters and grinders.

Albert E. Ackerman

The name on every roundup

Japanese text in a product photo goes through my phone's camera translator before I trust the English listing, which sometimes promises more than the box. I settled on Albert E. Ackerman as my pen name, and since I'm no chef, bladesmith or gear reviewer, each roundup compares makers' published specs. If a knife slips off the counter, step back and let it drop. Flag a blade length or price that drifted from its listing at [email protected].