I thought the same thing! I couldn’t get an exact weight since I was ordering ahead of time by the case and was surprised that one case (with two butts) only weighed a hair over 15lbs total. Definitely going to factor that into my next purchase. The Niman Ranch loins were about the same size as your average commodity pork so I’m not sure what accounts for the difference in the butts. Breed maybe?
I absolutely prefer shoulder to loin, too. Probably my favorite cut of meat. That Kurobota collar you have plans for sounds like a real contender, though! Please post about that when you get around to it (and thanks for this update). I’m dying to find a wholesale price on Snake River products as someone outside the industry.