New LGC MdO4 band oddity

[gormag38]

16 hours ago, Stoyan said:

Just checked my boxes.

May 23 on the left and January 21 on the right

So they most certainly used an oversized band on some of the 21 stock (and probably others as well). Judging by some of the photos other posters have shared; I think they're gonna use whatever the hell they have available. (eg. no consistent QC per usual). It's my thinking that @NSXCIGAR got some stock with old barn find bands (or at least made with the old template).  

[NSXCIGAR]

On 3/12/2024 at 1:13 AM, Fugu said:

But why would they bother to do a current reprint when they got a perfectly fine new band with he correct current labelling?

Because the new bands are Vrijdag and more expensive. Although how many MdO4s are they really making to justify reprinting the old bands? I guess any savings is worth it. 

I think the question now is down to are these reprints or barn finds. The fact that MdO4 production is so low and these are the first boxes from outside of the Partagas factory in memory has me leaning towards these being a bard find in the Camajuani factory. 

[Tunkat92]

Not really relevant, but I actually like the bands on your box of mdo4’s much better to the normal. The details remind me more or the older style. For reference, I have a picture of an early 2023 UBL mdo4 (top) and 2001 Partagas Factory (bottom). I love the detail on the old band, I was disappointed when I saw the newer bands.

[NSXCIGAR]

3 hours ago, Tunkat92 said:

I actually like the bands on your box of mdo4’s much better to the normal

I also think they look just fine. It appears that the bands for the MdO4 were always a little different than the MdO1/3. These are definitely more consistent with the 1/3. I think they fit the MdO4 perfectly. 

And that again brings us to are these reprints or barn finds. If they were reprints wouldn't they have reprinted the MdO4 bands and not the 1/3 bands? Again, makes me lean even more to these being barn finds. 

[Fugu]

9 hours ago, NSXCIGAR said:

Because the new bands are Vrijdag and more expensive. Although how many MdO4s are they really making to justify reprinting the old bands? I guess any savings is worth it.

Yet I don’t think the cost factor for Vrijdag bands would be critical here (while if they’d found some old...). And second, they’ve now already got a new, smaller Vrijdag band in use on the 4s. And that happening at the same factory as yours and even before yours have been boxed. A current reprint of the old band with the wrong/outdated labelling wouldn’t make much sense to me.

And funny, still, I noticed the band you posted in your last post is again notably different from those you posted from your new boxes before. So, it seems to be a mix of bands in your boxes, which would make a stronger case for a find of old bands rather than a fresh reprint run.

7 hours ago, Tunkat92 said:

I love the detail on the old band, I was disappointed when I saw the newer bands.

I agree, I always found the new (Vrijdag) band(s) to be a bit lifeless, unlovingly made.

4 hours ago, NSXCIGAR said:

It appears that the bands for the MdO4 were always a little different than the MdO1/3.

Just to get that sorted again: As I summarised in my reply to Alex, the original small band on the No. 3 and when used in the No. 4 is identical. For a long time, the standard size band had been used on the 4s, i.e. the same as used for the Tainos and for the Nos 1 and 2. The small band has never been used in the MdO1.

There were only two sizes of regular bands, plus the Vrijdag ones for special releases. Now, since 2023, we obviously got a new small-rg band, based on the Vrijdag design and likely made by Vrijdag.

[NSXCIGAR]

3 minutes ago, Fugu said:

I noticed the band you posted in your last post is again notably different from those you posted from your new boxes before.

That I didn't notice. I'll try and photograph more from the box but my last pic of the removed band was taken from a cigar on top of the box on the right in the OP photo so that band should be visible in the OP photo. 

And yes, I forgot there are Camajuani boxes from the month before with the new MdO4 Vrijdag band so the Vrijdag bands were at that factory and then they switched over in Sep. I guess the only way we'll know if these are reprints or barn finds is that if they revert back to the Vrijdag band in the near future they were likely barn finds. 

[Fugu]

2 hours ago, NSXCIGAR said:

I guess the only way we'll know if these are reprints or barn finds is that if they revert back to the Vrijdag band in the near future they were likely barn finds

Yep, we’ll see. I’m rather going for a one-off. Anyway, and whichever band they use, I hope for them to pop up in my neck of the woods, too! 😄

[Darco]

On 3/8/2024 at 9:18 PM, ATGroom said:

In the future I'd say both bands will probably appear from time to time.

I think you are right. Here are two boxes I recently bought: 

On the left: EBP FEB 2024 - bought from a LCDH in Germany

On the right: EBP JUL 2023 - bought from a reputable merchant in the UK

It is fair to assume that they used the older band out of necessity awaiting the printing of the newer band, but that’s not the case as they are evidently (from the boxes shown in this thread) flipping between the two bands. 

[Jimmy2]

Try one …Let us know what you think 

[NSXCIGAR]

5 hours ago, Darco said:

On the left: EBP FEB 2024 - bought from a LCDH in Germany

So it looks like we've got a start period of Oct 23 and still in use through Feb 24 and still at Camajuani. I still wouldn't rule out a one-off situation since MdO4 production is so low any barn find might turn up enough for an entire run of cigars. I doubt more than 10,000 sticks of MdO4 are even produced during a cycle. 

[Darco]

20 hours ago, Jimmy2 said:

Try one …Let us know what you think 

I sampled from both boxes, the 2024 box is more ready to be smoked...so full of flavors for a 32 ring gauge. The 2023 box is still harsh and needs to rest a bit more, nevertheless its potential is obvious to me. 

It worth mentioning (or it doesn’t, not sure 😄) that the 2023 box has a 2024 EMS stamp. What surely worth mentioning is that its cigars have much darker & oily wrappers. 

19 hours ago, NSXCIGAR said:

So it looks like we've got a start period of Oct 23 and still in use through Feb 24 and still at Camajuani. I still wouldn't rule out a one-off situation since MdO4 production is so low any barn find might turn up enough for an entire run of cigars. I doubt more than 10,000 sticks of MdO4 are even produced during a cycle. 

Maybe you are right. If you noticed in my picture, even the ribbons seems a bit different with the one in the right has a bolder font. Even the covering paper tissue has different thickness and transparency! If we are talking about a Cohiba box I will rightly always question authenticity, but it is sourced from two of the most reputable sources in the world, and besides, who will fake a relatively cheap 32 ring gauge? Let alone mastering the flavors😄

I have seen MdO4 boxes in number of cigar shops in London, but always one or two boxes are there. It surely is a very limited production cigar. 

[gormag38]

22 hours ago, Darco said:

and besides, who will fake a relatively cheap 32 ring gauge? Let alone mastering the flavors😄

Funny cause the box I bought from this run is an EBP JUN 23 code with the new bands. I was reading a thread about the clasps on here at one point in time and have noticed that my clasp from this box doesn't have the 'MADE IN GERMANY' stamp on the inside. The source is definitely legit so I don't question if they're real or not, but I don't know if I've ever seen a naked clasp before. I'd be curious to know if anyone else has an unmarked clasp from this run? 

[Filippohavana]

Mine came through the post today UK market