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Lib Tech Box Knife 2023 - 2018 Review by The Good Ride

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The Lib Tech Box Knife is just a fun freestyle to mellow mountain freestyle ride that has a nice take on their C3 camber profile by giving it some early rise before the quite long tip/tail. It makes it more floaty and more forgiving than standard C3 while still being pretty poppy and dynamic underfoot compared to a lot of other hybrid camber rides. It’s got the playfulness of a freestyle/park board and while the longer tip/tail might feel a bit much on occasion in the park you will like the way it floats for a twin in powder.

Update 2023: The Lib Tech Box Knife hasn’t changed since we reviewed this in 2018 so this review still stands. 

Ethics Statement: We don’t get paid by the manufacturer to write these reviews.  We do make money from the “Where To Buy” links, but this is our best attempt at an honest and objective review from an average riders’ perspective.

How This Review Happened: After a demo, we liked it so much we bought it.  We spent our precious Good Ride dollars to buy this and review it.

Size: 154 and 157
Days: 10+ (own the 157)
Conditions:  Firm to hard snow with some good patches here and there. One day in CO and one in OR
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10” 185-195lbs), Peter (Size 8, 5’11” 185lbs),
Boots: Adidas Tactical ADV,
Bindings:  Union Superpro with team ankle straps (similar to the contact but with taller straps), Bent Metal Logic
Set-Up: 22″, 22.5″,  and 22.75″ Centered 15 front -15 back

Similar Boards (but not the same) That We Compared This To: Lib Tech Hot Knife, Lib Tech TRS HP,  Never Summer Proto Type Two, Rossignol Jibsaw, Yes Jackpot, Never Summer Funslinger

The Lib Tech Box Knife doesn’t quite have the aggressive feel of boards like the Hot Knife. It doesn’t even feel as mountain friendly as the Proto Type Two or TRS but feels about the same as the Jibsaw that sits closer to the border between being a park only board and a board that can ride the moutnain well than the Yes Jackpot and Funslinger. It feels like it’s the most narrow and quick between the feet of all of these boards we mentioned.

Set-Up: 22” Wide. 21 front -6 back. Close to Reference and Set all the way back.  22” Wide. 15 front -15 back.  Centered.

Approximate Weight: Feels normal and maybe a touch on the light side of normal.

Sizing: The Box knife is a bit on the narrow side of things but the 157 works pretty well for my specs. Feels like it’s best for size 8 to 9ish boots. The wides feel like they work better for 10ish to 11ish boots but not much past that. Mervin boards usually can handle a bigger guy and this can too but it feels like it likes a little lighter weight rider instead.

Flex/Buttering: The Lib Tech Box Knife has a lot of pop and energy in their boards. Even though it feels a little softer than it’s flex rating it has a quick snap back after a flex.  It kind of feels like all the tech wrapped around the wood is there to accentuate its feel where it seems like some companies use the materials around the board to more disguise the wood feel. One isn’t better over the other but it’s just more of a description of how Lib and Gnu boards flex and feel underfoot. Maybe not as much as full camber but neither of us felt it was lacking energy underfoot. When it comes to buttering it has a medium to medium-soft flex off the snow but on snow, it butters very easy.

On Snow Feel/Ability Level/Skidded Turns: So the camber profile of the Lib Tech Box Knife is somewhat unique I have only seen this on one other board in 2020 and that is the very freeride oriented BRD. There are all kinds of C3 and these two have the most mellow version of it. It has a stable feel to it underfoot that one foots and flat bases incredibly easy. It might be a touch more catchy than some hybrid camber boards but it is far more forgiving than all other C3 boards or mostly camber boards we have tried. It skids turns pretty easy and has a pretty forgiving nature for intermediate riders but won’t bore advanced to expert riders. It kind of sits in between some of our favorite Freestyle and All Mountain Freestyle rides that we referenced above. You could call it a freestyle ride or a mellow mountain freestyle ride and you would be right.

Edge Hold: There is pretty competent edge hold with the Lib Tech Box Knife. It holds well in hard snow. It still hangs in there in icy snow but other boards with more aggressive Magnetraction do a little better. Still, the stability between the feet with the early rise C3 is more preferable than hybrid rocker camber profiles like with C2, C2x, C2e, etc. that can feel lose and spinny.

Turn Initiation: Very quick edge to edge. It goes wherever we want it when we want it. Very good board for tight spots.

Turning Experience/Carving: So if it wasn’t for the softer flex this would do an amazing job as a carving twin. Still, the Lib Tech Box Knife is a lot of fun to lay into a carve and there is a pretty rewarding spring out of it.

Powder: In comparison to a board you can set back far the Lib Tech Box Knife isn’t that great. However, in comparison to other twins out there, it is on the upper end of the spectrum. All that nose/tail and early rise make for a good board for those that keep it centered and want to take on powder either foot forward.

Speed: What makes the Lib Tech Box Knife soo good in powder also makes it a little chattery at high speed. The longer nose/tail bounce around a bit more and make the board feel less damp when you pick up speed.

Uneven Terrain: The way the Box Knife weaves in and out of bumps is outstanding. It’s narrow, knifey feel, with a forgiving flex and camber profile makes this the kind of board I like to turn through bumps with. Powering over uneven snow is another story though and it is a bit on the bucky side of things. Still, you can handle a crowded Saturday no problem from the first chair to last.

Switch: Practically perfect either way. We like Asymmetrical Twins a touch better but this Box Knife is great for those that ride switch a lot.

Jumps: There is really good pop in the tip/tail so if you like to ollie a lot the early rise in the nose/tail won’t be that far behind full C3. It’s a little narrow and softer for going big but small to medium for most will be super fun. If you are really working on taking off and landing either way then this is a great call.

Jibbing: Yeah the Box Scratcher is the way to go there but the Lib Tech Box Knife isn’t bad at all. It’s a pretty confidence-inspiring kind of ride that I’ve actually taken my old and broken body into the jib-park with.

Pipe: So this is my kind of pipe board. Narrow, easy to make quick turns on the wall, easy throw around in the air, strong edge hold, stable in hard to icy snow and good camber to drive wall to wall. Some might like a stiffer flex but most will find this to be a great pipe board.

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