V12 strength issue on tenor

Hey all - I've been playing blue box #4 on tenor for years now, and thought I'd give the V12s a shot since I like them a little better on alto than the traditionals (a little bit deeper, fuller sound less prone to shrillness up high...at least as far as I can tell).

So, I ordered me a box of #4 V12s and found that they are extremely hard - they feel as hard as or maybe even harder than the #5s I've played on a few times in the traditional cut. Has anyone else found this to be true at all? Is this small sample size or what? I mean, it's extremely unusual for me to find a reed so hard I can't play it but these V12s are just about there.