Hello and welcome to my Lib Tech Hot Knife review.
In this review I will take a look at the Hot Knife as an aggressive-all-mountain-freestyle snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Hot Knife a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other aggressive-all-mountain-freestyle snowboards.
NOTE: The 2020 model was the last model of the Hot Knife.
Overall Rating
Board: Lib Tech Hot Knife
Price: $499 (USD recommended retail)
Style: Aggressive All-Mountain Freestyle
Flex Rating: Medium
Flex Feel: Medium (5.5/10)
Rating Score: 88.5/100
Compared to other Men’s Aggressive-All-Mountain-Freestyle Boards
Out of the 17 men’s aggressive-all-mountain-freestyle snowboards that I rated:
- The average score was 85.0/100
- The highest score was 92.0/100
- The lowest score was 78.7/100
- The average price was $541
- The Hot Knife ranked 4th out of 17!
Overview of the Hot Knife’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Hot Knife’s specs and available sizes in the charts below.
Specs
| Style | All Mountain Freestyle (Aggressive) | Flex | Medium (5.5/10) |
| Ability Level | Advanced to Expert | Feel | Semi Locked-In |
| Weight | Normal | Turn Initiation | Medium-Fast |
| Camber Profile | Hybrid Rocker but only mild rocker – mostly camber | Shape | True Twin |
| Stance Setback | Centered | Edge-hold | Hard snow |
| Price | $499 (USD) | Base | Sintered |
Sizing
| Size (Length) | 153 | 156 | 156W | 159 | 159W | 162 |
| Waist Width (mm) | 251 | 253 | 265 | 255 | 266 | 257 |
| Weight Range (lbs) | 90+ | 100+ | 100+ | 110+ | 110+ | 120+ |
| Weight Range (kgs) | 41+ | 45+ | 45+ | 50+ | 50+ | 55+ |
The 2018 model also had a 150, but that’s no longer available in the 2019 or 2020 models.
I’m personally not so sure about Lib Tech’s weight recommendations. They’re very broad – and to be honest I can’t imagine someone weighing 120lbs being suitable for a 162cm board! But there you go.
I love their boards but not so much their weight recommendations!
Who is the Hot Knife Most Suited to?
The Hot Knife is quite aggressive. But it’s also got a twin shape and a centered stance. This makes it great for freestyle. And it’s got plenty of pop – so it’s great for jumps.
It’s a mostly camber board (Lib Tech’s C3 Camber – very mild rocker between the bindings), so it’s great for those that love camber but still want to be riding freestyle – but also want to be able to ride the groomers and lay down some good aggressive carves.
If that’s wetting your appetite then this board might be for you.
Not really a jibber – but great to take into the park for medium to large jumps. Otherwise it’s the kind of deck that you want to be ripping it up over the whole mountain, popping off rollers, side hits and ollying off lips – and in between times getting the elbows low for some deep carves.
The Hot Knife in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what Lib Tech’s Hot Knife is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: Lib Tech Hot Knife 2017, 159cm (255mm waist width)
Date: February 27th, 2016
Conditions: Choppy and slushy on the groomers. Some pockets of powder off. Some rain later in the afternoon but mostly fine. Visibility good all day.
Bindings angles: +18/+3
Powder
Not really made for the powder. Have to really put an effort in to keep the nose above the snow in deeper stuff (but I didn’t really find a lot of powder).
The centered stance, the fact that there isn’t much rocker in the profile and the true twin shape make this not a good pick for powder. Not to say that you can’t ride it in powder of course – just that this shouldn’t be your pick if you want to ride powder in the backcountry a lot.
Carving and Turning
A great little carver. It’s aggressive and you can really get low and up on the edge with confidence.
The edge hold is really good. Though I didn’t really have any icy patches on the day, there were some harder spots and the Hot Knife dug in really well and felt really solid and gripped well.
Quick from edge to edge too.
Speed
It was pretty fast and pretty stable at speed. Not the fastest board I’ve ridden but pretty quick none-the-less. Enough so for what you want to do with it and for a twin.
No problems gliding through flat spots or slight up-hills. It has a sintered base (and it was well waxed) so that definitely helps.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
Check out the video below for more on the tech.
Uneven Terrain
I had a really choppy day (the downside of riding on a busy Saturday with slushy snow!) and the Hot Knife held up pretty well.
It doesn’t hug the terrain like some boards might – but if you picked some aggressive lines and went for it, it got you through to the flatter spots where you could then open up a carve. Or I just used to the chop as little jumps sometimes too.
Jumps
Speaking of jumps – this board is awesome!
Really good pop. There’s plenty of camber in the profile which helps with that pop for sure.
Also great for medium to large jumps (and small jumps too but if you’re up to it, then it can handle the bigger jumps). Good for landings and great pop.
Ollies, popping off rollers, ollying over lips etc was super fun on this board.
Switch
Really fun for riding switch. It’s a true twin and centered stance board so it feels pretty much the same going in either direction. This also makes it awesome for 180s.
Jibbing
Not a great jibber. You can do it if you want to hit the occasional easy jib but jibbing is not it’s bread and butter. If you do a lot of jibbing then there are better options out there.
Pipe
Though I didn’t take it in the pipe I think this would make a sick pipe board. It has a centered stance, twin shape, it’s pretty quick and has great edge-hold. All things that would serve it really well in the pipe.
Changes from Past models
Apart from the graphics, the 2017, 2018 & 2019 models are all very similar.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
| Jumps: | 4.5 | 18/20 |
| Carving: | 4.0 | 12/15 |
| Speed: | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
| Switch: | 4.5 | 9/10 |
| Uneven Terrain: | 3.0 | 6/10 |
| Spins: | 4.5 | 9/10 |
| Butters: | 3.0 | 3/5 |
| Powder: | 2.0 | 2/5 |
| Jibbing: | 2.5 | 2.5/5 |
| Pipe: | 5.0 | 5/5 |
| TOTAL after normalizing | 88.5/100 |
If you’re looking for aboard that can have you doing tricks and hitting whatever hits you can find on the groomers, but can still lay down a deep carve and awesome through the jump line in the park, then the Hot Knife might be just right for you.
Definitely not a beginner deck. This board is aggressive. It’s freestyle oriented (except for jibbing) but it’s also aggressive.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you like the sound of the Hot Knife and want to learn more about it – or if you want to research prices and sizing availability, check out the links below.
If you want to check out some other aggressive all-mountain-freestyle options or see how the Hot Knife compares to other aggressive all-mountain-freestyle boards check out the following link.
>>My Top 5 Aggressive All-Mtn-Freestyle Snowboards
Hi Nate
Great review on the board. I started looking at the Hot Knife as I’m looking to progress up from my Arbor Formula (2010), but after reading your review I’m wondering if it’s too much of a step.
On the Lib Tech website it rates the board intermediate to expert but in your review and others I’ve seen it’s rated advanced to expert.
I’m 37, 5’11, 165, size 9 boot, intermediate rider, fully competent on blues and ok on blacks (I can be inconsistent on them right now).
I’m in Southern California so will mainly be SoCal resorts (big bear, mammoth) with occasional visits to Tahoe and Colorado. I want a board mainly for carving on groomed runs which is why the hot knife appealed to me for that more locked in feel and turning capability. I’m not park person so looking for something more dialled in for what I like.
Would love to get your thoughts and advice on whether you think the hot knife might be a good fit or not.
Thanks, and keep up the great work.
Dave
Hi Dave
Thanks for your message.
It’s borderline OK for high-end intermediate riders. It’s not that stiff, which is in it’s favor there, but there is a lot of camber – it’s pretty much full camber, which some riders can find catchy when they get off their game. If you’re OK with that much camber and are happy to be on your game most of the time, then it might work for you. Certainly not something if you ride a lot of powder, but if you’re mostly on groomers, then that’s where this board most likes to ride. It’s certainly freestyle focused, but you don’t have to ride any freestyle on it. It’s a good groomer board for carving. It’s not a monster or anything that’s for sure, and being at it’s flex level it is manageable – it doesn’t have that stiff flex/camber combination that can make a board really hard to control if you’re not really riding it hard, but it can have consequence to skidded turns.
So I don’t think it’s far off from what you’re describing, but maybe a bit of a challenge to begin with. Size-wise, I would be weighing up between the 156 and 159 for your specs. With the 156 being a more easily manageable length – which would mellow it out a little, but still be in a good size range for you, IMO.
If you wanted to check out other similar, but more forgiving options, you could look at:
>>My Top All-Mountain-Freestyle Snowboards
OR for something that’s a little better in powder
>>My Top 10 All Mountain Snowboards
Hope this helps with your decision
Hey Nate
Thanks for the detailed response, definitely some things to think about and right now I’m 50/50 on buying.
I’ll check out your guides that you linked to. If I wanted to go with Lib Tech, do you have any recommendations as to a board that would suit me if I don’t want to go as aggressive as the Hot Knife?
Thanks
Dave
Hi Dave
I would look at the TRS, if you’re not too worried about powder performance or if you don’t see deep powder much.
If you want something just a touch better for powder, then the Terrain Wrecker is worth checking out.
what size would you recommend for a 6′ 0 200lbs rider with size 10 boots? 157 or 159? or should I go to 159w?
Hi Jimmy
Thanks for your message.
With size 10 boots, you shouldn’t need to go wide. And I wouldn’t unless you had good reason for doing so. Length-wise, I would be debating between 159 and 162 for your specs, generally speaking. For this board, given it’s specs, and the type of riding that I would be doing on it, I would go 159 if I was you. But 162 is an option if you want to go a little longer.
Hope this helps with your decision
Hey nate
Do you know what the width at the inserts are?
Cheers!
Hi Tim
Thanks for your message. I haven’t specifically measured the Hot Knife at the inserts, unfortunately, but other similar Lib Tech boards that I have measured, tend to be around 6-7mm wider at the inserts (at reference stance) vs the waist. So for the 159 (255mm waist), I would predict that the width at inserts would be around 261mm, 262mm – but that’s just a guess.
Hope this helps
Hi Nate,
Would you take this board or the Proto Type Two for resort riding?
Hi Bryan
Thanks for your message.
It’s a very tough call between them. I would say that the Proto Type Two is on the aggressive side, but not aggressive enough to consider aggressive all-mtn-free, in my books, and the Hot Knife is on the slightly less aggressive side for an aggressive all-mtn-free – but in saying that, still definitely a little more aggressive than the PT2. Since I do like my riding not-too-aggressive (though not super playful either), I would likely go PT2, personally. But if you prefer things a little more aggressive, then the Hot Knife for sure. Also, I would say PT2 is a little better for uneven terrain and jibbing, so just a little more all-round, which I like as I like to vary my riding. Not to say that the Hot Knife is undoable for jibs or in uneven terrain – but I just preferred the PT2 there.
But either are great all-round options for within the resort, so neither would be a bad call. The biggest thing i would think about between the 2 – how aggressive do you ride. Somewhere in between aggressive and playful, then I’d go PT2. If you’re more on the aggressive side, then Hot Knife.
Hope this helps with your decision
Great detailed review! I am intrigued by this board due to its lower cost than other Lib Tech, and size. I’m 55, about 132 pds and was looking at the 153. I do ride a lot of park as the main hill I ride at night is tiny, but have a smaller board (150) for that as from East Coast. Was thinking of picking this board up for trips out west, and when I really want to just rip the mountains around here. From the review this sounds like a fun ride on the big mountains, and I don’t want a powder only board as I wont have many days for that unfortunately. I figure with the size of board combined with my size, if I get into some freshies I still would be able to rip. Thoughts?
Would you recommend this, been snowboarding for 20 years, so def not a beginner…but might be tempted to hit some rails as I’m not so good at holding back!
Thanks!
Hi Ted
Thanks for your message.
It sounds like this is something that could work for you. Ordinarily I would say going a little shorter for your specs, but since you’re used to a 150 for the park and since this would be more for big mountain riding, that it would be suitable. It’s not what I would call amazing in powder, but since you’re going a bit bigger, it should have plenty of surface area for your weight, and that will definitely help in the pow – and like you say you’re not likely to see much of it.
If you’re confident on rails, then I don’t think you’ll have a problem doing it. Certainly not the ideal jibber, IMO, and being longer would also make it more difficult, but if you’re good on rails, and it’s not going to be your main stay when on this board, then you should be fine.
Hope this gives you more to go off for your decision
Great reviews! I’d like to know a little more about how the boards butter. Maybe you could add buttering into your reviews as a heading:
– Uneven terrain
– Jumps
– Switch
– Jibbing
– Buttering
– Pipe
Keep up the great work!
Hi Mark
Thanks for the suggestion. I have been starting to make a little note on buttering in the jibbing section for some reviews, but I’ll try to do it more consistently. I did take note of the buttering ability for the 2019 boards I demoed in the winter/spring, so the 2019 reviews should have that more consistently. But yeah, definitely something worth knowing about a board.
Hi Nate,
Thanks for the review. I’m currently deciding between the Hot Knife 156 wide, and the TRS 157 wide. I’m coming from a traditional camber board (Nitro Team 159), and while I appreciated how responsive and aggressive it was, I never really got used to the pop and kept getting bucked forward off the lips with my skate style ollies. Would you say that you have to really pre-load the tail to get the most out of the pop on the Hot Knife, or is it playful enough to mix in skate-style ollies, too??
Overall, I’m looking for something to ride it all well whenever it’s not a deep powder day. I have another board for those days. 🙂
I appreciate your feedback. Thanks!
Hi Tyler
I would go for the TRS. The TRS will be that bit more playful but you can definitely still carve on it but it’s got a bit more rocker in it than the Hot Knife. Both boards are great for jumps and riding switch but can still carve and are still good at speed – but I think that the TRS sounds like more what you are after. The Hot Knife is pretty close to traditional camber and more aggressive.
Neither are great in powder – but as you say, you have another board for that.