The good news is that he's been posting again on the Selvedge board after a long break, so he's not doing an LD. The usual advice is to phone him, though, as he answers that more than emails.
Just got in my Ciano Farmer 18 oz. chinos. I'm impressed. There are some minor stitching flaws but they're not very noticeable and are not functional issues. The material is extremely heavy and stiff. I have a pair of Naked and Famous Elephant 4 jeans that are 23 oz. and these feel very much like those for stiffness and weight. These are the slim fit and probably fit slimmer than most here would want. I ordered a size down because Ciano's sizing seems pretty generous and I think the sizing worked out good. Hopefully they won't shrink too much when washed.