Help with BFG KO tyre compound

The first set of BFG KO all terain tyres I bought were made in Japan and were very soft and also wore out twice as fast. The second set I bought were made in the USA and were very noticeibly harder. I have just bought another set also made in the USA and these are very soft. They have large white markings in the tread area. What does this large white repeating pattern of some kind arround the tread area of the tyre mean. Are all BFG KOs very soft now. Have they gone to a silicon based compound or have I bought a compound for snow climate.