Hello and welcome to my Lib Tech EJack Knife review.
In this review, I will take a look at the E-Jack Knife as a freeride snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the E-Jack Knife a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other freeride snowboards.
Overall Rating
Board: Lib Tech E-Jack Knife
Price: $599 (USD recommended retail)
Style: Freeride
Flex Rating: Mid-Firm (7/10)
Flex Feel on Snow: Medium-Stiff (7/10)
Rating Score: 85.3/100
Compared to other Men’s Freeride Boards
Out of the 36 men’s freeride snowboards that I rated:
Overview of the E-Jack Knife’s Specs
Check out the tables for the E-Jack Knife’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | Freeride |
Price: | $599 |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Feel: |  |
Turn Initiation: | Medium-Fast |
Edge-hold: |  |
Camber Profile: | Hybrid Rocker (but mostly camber - Lib Tech's C3 Camber) |
Shape: | |
Setback Stance: | 25mm (1") |
Base: | TNT (Eco Sublimated TNT Base) |
Weight: | Felt Normal |
Sizing
LENGTH (cm) | Waist Width (mm) | Rec Rider Weight (lb) | Rec Rider Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
154 | 251 | 120+ | 54+ |
157 | 253 | 130+ | 59+ |
159 | 254 | 140+ | 64+ |
159W | 264 | 150+ | 68+ |
162 | 255 | 150+ | 68+ |
162W | 265 | 150+ | 68+ |
Who is the E-Jack Knife Most Suited To?
The EJack Knife is best suited to those that want to ride big, fast and deep – but also want to be able to express a bit of freestyle flavor when doing so. So, if you’re someone who likes to do a bit of freestyle in the backcountry…. If you’ve ever seen videos of Eric Jackson and your style is somewhat similar, then that’s the ideal candidate for this board.
But even just as a typical freeride board (without the freestyle element) it’s a great choice too, but an even better choice if you throw in a bit of freestyle.
Not for a beginner, at all. Advanced to expert riders only on this bad boy. Maybe a solid, high-end intermediate rider too.
And whilst it has that freestyle taste to it, still not something that’s versatile in the park, IMO. You could go and hit the big kickers in there for sure – but not ideal for anything else in there, IMO.The E-Jack Knife in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the E-Jack Knife is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: Lib Tech E-Jack Knife 2019, 157 (253mm waist width)
Date: April 14, 2018
Conditions: With 27cm of fresh snow in the 24 hours prior it was the perfect day for testing freeride boards (which is what I mostly rode on the Saturday). Visibility (at least the part of the mountain where I was riding) was great. There was a bit of wind (which was surprisingly cold for April) but only noticed it on the chair lift. It was around -8 degrees with wind chill.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance width: 610mm (24”)
Stance Setback: 25mm (1“)
Width at Inserts: 259mm (10.2”) at nose and 260mm at tail.
Flex
It’s rated as a 7/10 in terms of flex, and in the case of the E Jack Knife, I have to concur with that. That’s how it felt to me.
Powder
It felt pretty good in powder. And no real surprises there. It’s got a long, wide nose compared to the shorter, narrower tail, to help the tail sink and the nose float. And it’s also got a 25mm (1”) setback in its favor.
It’s never going to be as floaty as a board with a good bit of rocker in the camber profile, IMO, but for a board with very minimal rocker, it floated very well.
Carving & Turning
Really nice board to carve on. One of it’s biggest strengths and the thing I had the most fun doing on this board. Not quite as nice on a carve as the GNU Mullair, which I also rode on the same day, but it’s not really fair comparing carving against that thing!
Relatively agile and was pretty good in the trees, but just a touch behind the Mullair and Never Summer Chairman that I also rode that day.
Doable for skidded turns if you get off your game, but only forgiving of it to a certain extent. Definitely prefers to be up on an edge.
Speed
I felt I could really bomb with this board and it could handle a lot of speed without feeling shaky. Not quite to the extent of the Mullair and Chairman, but definitely something you can bomb with.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
Uneven Terrain
It felt pretty good riding through crud and over uneven terrain.
Jumps
Felt more natural on jumps compared to what I feel from a lot of freeride boards. It’s got good pop and I didn’t feel like I had to really put in a huge effort to get it to pop – it had a more easily accessible pop than a lot of freeride boards.
And certainly stable on landings and no issues with stability at speed on approaches.
Switch
It’s not crazy to ride switch on, but it’s also not a natural switch rider, IMO.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | Contribution to Final Score | |
|---|---|---|
CARVING | 4.5 | 18/20 |
TURNING | 4.0 | 8/10 |
POWDER | 4.0 | 16/20 |
SPEED | 4.0 | 16/20 |
UNEVEN TERRAIN | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
JUMPS | 3.5 | 7/10 |
SWITCH | 3.0 | 3/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 85.3/100 |
Overall, the EJack Knife is a super fun board for charging, powder and carving – and is a more natural jumper than most freeride boards. So, if you like to get a little freestyle on big mountain terrain, this is a great board – or even if you don’t, it’s still a great choice as a freeride option, IMO.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the E-Jack Knife, are ready to buy or want to research prices and availability, check out the links below.
If you want to see how the E-Jack Knife compares to other men’s freeride snowboards or want to check out some other options in that category, check out the next link.
Hi Nate! Thanks for the review. Am 5’8, 145 lbs, size 8 shoe, am thinking between size 154 and 157, what are your thoughts? I guess 154 will be ideal, but I am afraid of sacrificing pow performance :/ Would like to use ejack mainly for tree runs, carving, pow and icy conditions.
Hi Eduard
I would 100% go 154, if I was you. For your specs, I think the powder performance is going to be fine. Sure, the 157 would be even better in powder, and if you were going to just be in wide open powder terrain all the time, then it would be an option for sure. But I think the sacrifice in agility for riding trees and just in general would be easily greater than the sacrifice in powder performance in this case. And in this case you’re not going to be sacrificing that much in terms of powder anyway. So yeah, if it was me, I’d go 154 for sure.
Hope this helps with your decision
Thanks mate! Pulled the trigger on 154! You are totally correct, better to keep it versatile, and if I don’t like the pow performance, which I highly doubt from what I’ve heard so far, maybe someday I’ll grab a separate pow board. Thanks for help!
You’re very welcome Eduard. Thanks for visiting. If you think of it at the time, let me know how you get on, once you’ve had a chance to get it out on snow
Great review/reviews. I am 6’ 185lbs 10 boot… Currently on a T Rice Pro HP 157. Looking at the E Jack and The PYL. Advanced rider that sticks to trees, pow days, natural booters and groomers when the weather doesn’t cooperate. Any size suggestions for those 2 boards. Spoke with a shop gut and he suggested a 162 for the E Jack…. seems big??
Hi King of The North (you just used that name, so that I had to say it right!)
Thanks for your message.
You could certainly ride both at 162, but I would be weighing up between the 159 and 162 in your case. You’re basically the same specs as me, and I prefer the 159 for both. I don’t generally like riding anything much longer than 160. I have gotten on with a couple of 161s and 162s, but for both these boards I like them in the 159. I rode the Ejack in the 157, which I still really liked in that size, but I would go 159 if I was to buy it.
But your certainly within the range to go up to the 162. I would say that you would certainly prefer the 159s for riding trees and for natural booters – and in some cases for the groomers. The 162s would give you a bit more in terms of stability at speed and float in powder – at the expense of some maneuverability.
I would be leaning towards 159 for you, mainly because I think it would be a better balance for incorporating trees and sidehits as well as groomers and powder – but also because you’re used to a 157 and I think you would likely find the 162 feeling too big.
Hope this helps with your decision
Hi Nate,
Keep up the good work!
I’m trying to decide between the Ejack 157 and the Müllair 159. I’m 6’ 165lbs size US9.5 boot. I ride everything and like to go fast. Not so much rails but will hit jumps in the park sometimes. Otherwise carving and of course pow if there is some. I ride a lot of different mountains in the Alps and like to explore the resort and sidecountry. Basically I’m looking for a mostly camber freeride board that I can still get air off jumps and side hits on. I demoed the Mullair for a few runs and it was super fun but very demanding due to the flex, particularly in the tail. I’m looking for something similar but a tiny bit less stiff, both end to end and torsionally. I can’t size down on the Mullair as it becomes really narrow. Did you notice much difference between the Ejack and the Mullair? I see you rode both on the same day in the sizes I’m looking at.
Thanks!
Hi Kevin
Thanks for your message.
There’s not a massive difference in terms of flex there, but I did find the Ejack just a touch softer flexing than the Mullair. Not sure if that had anything to do with being that slight bit shorter – though they do have a similar effective edge. But yeah, flex difference was subtle but noticeable for sure. I preferred the Ejack for jumps too – I found the pop was a bit more accessible vs the Mullair, which I found you had to wind up more (which is typical of a stiffer board). I did prefer the Mullair for carves and found it a little more stable at speed.
So yeah if you’re looking for something significantly softer, then the Ejack knife isn’t it, but if you just want to take off a little in terms of how stiff it feels, then I think it would be a great option for what you’re describing.
Just quickly, if you’re looking to go more significantly softer, you could look into the Lib Tech Dynamo or GNU Antigravity – I haven’t ridden either yet, but based on specs, they would work, if you wanted to go another step softer but still go with the C3 Camber.
Hope this helps with your decision
Thanks! I’ll take a look at the Dynamo and the Antigravity but I have a feeling they might be too soft. I might also go for the Ejack Knife in a 154 size. Do you think it could work?
Hi Kevin
I think the 157 is the more appropriate size for you all round. But the 154 would be doable for your weight – and should be still wide enough for your boot size. It would be on the narrow end for your boots, but you’re prob just OK. What boots do you own? If you have low profile boots, then that would make it even more likely to be safe on the 154.
You would certainly find the 154 slightly softer flexing vs the 157, and a little more maneuverable (and personally I like a little shorter for side-hits, jumps etc, but only to a point. I don’t like to go so small that my landing platform ends up feeling too small), but you would sacrifice a little in terms of stability at speed and float in powder.
Hi trying to decide between ejack 2019, or capitA bsod 5’8 185lbs size 9 boot. Have only ridden Flying V and banana rocker and flat (90’s) want something good in pow and trees as I am going to Revy next year also like buttering and a few park laps (switch)
Hi Ollie
Thanks for your message.
Both the E Jack Knife and BSOD are what I would consider freeride boards bordering on all-mountain boards, so in that sense they have their similarities. They are both better for jumps and switch than the average freeride board, but still not super amazing in those areas. Both as good in powder, IMO, with the BSOD a little better at speed and the E Jack Knife a little better on a carve. I just preferred the BSOD in trees but it’s pretty close.
Both are average in terms of buttering – neither easy to butter on but both have some butterability.
The E Jack Knife is better in hard/icy conditions, IMO.
The BSOD has a higher quality base on it, IMO.
Very little in it, IMO.
Size-wise, I would be weighing up between the 156 and 159 for the BSOD and the 157 and 159 for the E Jack Knife. And leaning towards the 156 for BSOD and 157 for E Jack Knife. But this is generally what the advantages of going shorter or longer would be.
156/157 better for trees, more nimble at slower speeds, better in the park, more buttery
159 more stability at speed, better float in powder, better for long arcing carves.
Since you mention trees, buttering and getting into the park – I think going shorter would be better suited, and these boards are already good for speed, carving and powder – so you would get a better all-round board for what you’re describing going with the shorter options, IMO.
Hope this helps with your decision
Nate, I’m having the toughest time choosing a snowboard and am hoping you can help me. I’m an experienced aggressive all-mountain (and a little bit of freestyle). I’m 5’9 and 176lbs with 9.5 boot. My home mountains are Mt. Bachelor and Mt. Hood with occasional back-country. I’m looking for a 1 board quiver killer for resort days, powder, carving groomers and side-hits and jumps. I like speed and hard carving as well as pow-butters. And have only ridden camber boards in my lifetime. I’m thinking directional or directional twin for powder floating. Here are the contenders:
Lib Tech: TRS 157
Lib Tech: Ejack Knife 157
Jones: Explorer 159
Yes: Standard 157
GNU: Mullair
United Shapes: Explorer 156
K2: Manifest
Any input would help. Thanks for the amazing site and content.
Hi Justin
Thanks for your message.
Apart from the last 2 on the list (which I’m not familiar with, so don’t have an opinion on either way), I think you’ve narrowed down a good list.
The TRS, IMO, isn’t that good in powder or at speed, compared to the others there, so may not be as suitable. That’s my experience with it anyway. A great board, but maybe not quite for what you’re describing.
The Standard is probably the least aggressive of those, IMO, though it’s not overly playful either. Kind of middle of the road in terms of aggressiveness. I still think it would be a fun board for what you’re describing, but if you’re looking for a more aggressive ride, then the Ejack Knife or Mullair might be better. The Explorer is a little more aggressive than the Standard, IMO, but not as aggressive as the other E-Jack and Mullair.
My instinct for you would be either the E-Jack Knife or Mullair. They’ve both got some subtle rocker between the feet, but it’s really not that noticeable, they are both definitely camber dominant, in my experience.
I would be leaning towards the E-Jack Knife, just because I like the 157 size for you. For the Mullair, the 159 would certainly work, but I like the sounds of the 157 Ejack Knife for you. The 159 for the Explorer would be the best size if that’s what you went with (it’s something that’s best ridden a little longer) – and for the Standard it would be 156 (something best ridden a little shorter, IMO).
Hope this gives you more to go off for your decision
Nate,
Thanks so much for your thoughtful response. I think I will go with the Ejack Knife based on your recommendation. I’m so glad I found your site. Thanks for everything that you do for us snowboarders!
You’re very welcome Justin. If you think of it at the time, I’d love to hear how you get on with the Ejkack Knife, once you’ve had a chance to get it out on snow. Hope you have an awesome season!
I’m 6ft,160 and have size 11 boots. What size would be best for me?
Hi Brandys
Thanks for your message.
I would say 159W for you. The Ejack Knife isn’t that wide at the inserts vs the waist. I would predict the 159W to be around 271mm at the inserts – which would work for your boot size. The 157 (which I rode and which I would probably recommend apart from boot size), is 260mm at the inserts. It’s doable but quite risky, IMO, with 11s. If there was a 157W, I’d say that would be ideal for you.
Hope this helps with your decision