Hello and welcome to my Lib Tech Box Knife review.
In this review, I will take a look at the Box Knife as an all-mountain-freestyle snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Box Knife a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other all-mountain-freestyle snowboards.
Overall Rating
Board: Lib Tech Box Knife 2022
Price: $499
Style: All-Mountain-Freestyle
Flex Rating: Medium (5/10 to 6.5/10, depending on size)
Flex Feel on Snow: Medium (5/10)
Rating Score: 83.9/100
Compared to other Men’s All-Mountain-Freestyle Boards
Out of the 28 men’s all-mountain-freestyle snowboards that I rated:
Overview of the Box Knife's Specs
Check out the tables for the Box Knife's specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | All-Mountain-Freestyle |
Price: | $499 |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Feel: |  |
Smooth/Snappy |  |
Dampness: |  |
Playful/Aggressive: |  |
Edge-hold: |  |
Camber Profile: | Hybrid Rocker - Lib Tech's "C3" camber profile |
Shape: | |
Setback Stance: | Centered |
Base: | Sintered |
Weight: | A little heavier than normal |
Sizing
LENGTH (cm) | Waist Width (mm) | Rec Rider Weight (lb) | Rec Rider Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
148 | 250 | 80+ | 36+ |
151 | 251 | 90+ | 41+ |
154 | 252 | 95+ | 43+ |
157 | 253 | 100+ | 45+ |
157W | 262 | 100+ | 45+ |
160W | 262 | 110+ | 50+ |
Who is the Box Knife Best Suited To?
The Box Knife is most suited to anyone looking for a resort board that is freestyle oriented. Whether you want that freestyle to be over the whole mountain or in the park. But also a board that is fine for laying into some carves and that can handle a bit of speed (without being a speed demon).
Not well suited to powder and certainly not a beginner board. You don't have to be an expert to ride it by any means, but best to be at a solid intermediate level
The Box Knife in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Box Knife is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: Lib Tech Box Knife 2022, 157cm (253mm waist width)
Date: March 3, 2021
Conditions: Temp 0°C (32°F) but -6°C (21°F) with wind and that wind was quite chilly but not overly strong - 10kph (6mph)
Overcast but 90% visibility
24 snow: 0cm (0")
7 day snow: 24cm (9")
On groomer: Soft on top. Not slushy but kind of like when it's slushy but the snow wasn't wet. It's like it was ice overnight but softened up.
Off groomer: Very hard/crunchy.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance width: 555mm (21.9″)
Stance Setback: Centered
Width at Inserts: 260mm (10.24")
Rider Height: 6'0"
Rider Weight: 175lbs
Rider Boot Size: US9.5 Adidas Tactical ADV
Bindings Used: Burton Malavita M
Weight: 3120grams (6lb 14oz)
Weight per cm: 19.87 grams/cm
Average Weight per cm: 18.43 grams/cm*
*based on a sample size of around 100 models that I’ve weighed in 2019, 2020, 2021 *& 2022 models. The Box Knife is quite a bit heavier than normal. On snow however, it didn't feel super heavy. Felt a little heavier than normal, but not by a lot.
Flex
The Box Knife felt stiffer than the last time I rode it. But it's still not stiff by any means. But right around that 5/10, true medium kind of flex to me.
Powder
Didn't have any powder to test in but based on specs and the small amount of powder I got plus the small amounts of powder I rode previous models of it in, it's not great for powder.
True twin, mostly camber boards aren't typically that powder friendly.
Carving & Turning
Carving: Could lay down a good carve on it. Wasn't amazing at railing big carves at higher speeds, but fun for slower speed carves.
Turning: At first I found it a little grabby, but as I got used to the board that feeling went away and it was a nice board to turn on. Not effortless, but pretty fun nonetheless.
Maneuverability at slow speeds: It was pretty quick edge-to-edge when you were stuck in those tighter spots. Usually a board that takes a little effort to turn isn't overly nimble, but the Box Knife was a quick tight turner.
Skidded Turns: It wasn't bad for skidded turns. Better than I though it would be. It was easier for skidded turns than the GNU Essential Service and Lib Tech BRD I rode that day, but not as easy as my control board (Terrain Wrecker).
Speed
It feels pretty stable at reasonable speeds, but does get a little bit of a wobble when you really start to open it out.
Good glide for flats.
Uneven Terrain
Crud: It's not a crud destroyer when it comes to just smashing through it, but it's a little more smashy than my control board (Terrain Wrecker). Didn't get bucked around too much, but wasn't un-buckable either. Was decently good at correcting itself when it did get a little bucked.
Bumps: Weaved well through the bumps. Quite quick edge-to-edge at slower speeds. Hugs bumps pretty well too, when going over the top of them.
Let's Break this text up with a Video
Jumps
Overall a good board for jumps and side hits. At first I didn't like it as much as my control board (Terrain Wrecker) but it grew on me and became it's equal (in my eyes) by the end.
Pop: Good pop and easy to access too. Ollies were better than the other boards I rode that day in the Essential Service and BRD and good pop off jumps and side hits.
Approach: A good mixture of stable and maneuverable. Not super stable for bigger jumps but decently so.
Landing: Solid on landings.
Side-hits: Really good. Still not quite as good on the setup as my control board, but good easy pop and sets up/lands well switch.
Small jumps/Big jumps: Medium is the sweet spot for this board.
Switch
Felt good riding switch - and no surprise given it's a twin.
Spins
Good for setting up and landing switch and good, easy pop. Getting the spin around is fine, but it's on the heavier side so takes a little more effort to throw around.
Jibbing
A little trickier on the setup than my control board, but not by much and popping on and off was good and felt quite confident jibbing with this board. Not ideal for it, but decent enough.
Butters
Not as buttery as my control board, but pretty good. My control board is pretty buttery!
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | Contribution to Final Score | |
|---|---|---|
JUMPS | 4.0 | 16/20 |
SWITCH | 4.5 | 9/10 |
JIBBING | 3.5 | 7/10 |
CARVING/TURNS | 3.5 | 7/10 |
POWDER | 2.5 | 5/10 |
SPEED | 3.0 | 6/10 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 3.5 | 7/10 |
SPINS | 4.0 | 8/10 |
BUTTERING | 4.0 | 4/5 |
PIPE | 4.0 | 4/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 83.9/100 |
Overall, the Box Knife is a board best suited to the resort, particularly if you have a freestyle flavor to your riding.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Box Knife, or if you are ready to buy, or if you just want to research prices and availability, check out the links below.
If you want to check out some other all-mountain-freestyle snowboard options, or if you want to compare how the Box Knife compares to other all-mountain-freestyle snowboards, then check out the next link.
Hello and welcome to my Lib Tech Box Knife review.
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Box Knife is capable of.
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