Diamond Archery Edge SB-1 Review

I had wanted to get into archery for a while but never knew where to start. I finally had to put a deadline on my researching activities (Yes. I spent over a year of researching bows…) or I would never make a purchase, so my goal was to purchase and be ready for a mule deer hunt in the fall of 2017.

I had looked at different models of Martin, Hoyt and Bear bows but hadn't found a good fit.

I stumbled upon the Diamond Archery Infinite Edge Pro during a clearance sale at Wholesale Sports in Regina. I should have purchased the bow that day, but since I hadn't researched the bow for months, I left and have had reverse buyers remorse ever since.

The Diamond Archery Bow series is manufactured by Bowtech and has been rebranded to sell through the larger box stores while the Bowtech brand is sold primarily through smaller and more specialized archery shops

So, I did my research and decided that in Infinite Edge Pro was my next bow.

By accident, I stumbled onto the Diamond Archery Edge SB-1. While it is a similar bow to the Infinite Edge Pro, it takes advantage of more advanced technology to give the shooter a better overall experience.

There are three main differences between the Diamond Edge SB-1 and the Infinite Edge Pro.

First of the Edge SB-1 is a slightly faster bow at 318 fps vs. the Infinite Edge Pro at 310 fps. Not a significant difference between the two bows but neither is the price difference between the Edge SB-1 and Infinite Edge Pro.

Secondly, the limbs and limb system seemed to be a better design on the Edge SB-1 vs. the Infinite Edge Pro. Diamond Archery uses a solid limb system on both bows, but the material of the Edge SB-1 limb seemed to be a better material and stronger overall feel vs. the limbs of the Infinite Edge Pro. Also, the limb pockets are a different design, and the Edge SB-1 has the EZ Adjust system built into the limb which allows simple and precise draw weight adjustments.

Diamond Edge SB-1 limb system is fully camoflauged.

The third reason is the peep sight. The peep sight isn't a good reason to purchase or not purchase a bow, but the Edge SB-1 had a tubeless carbon peep included vs. the tubed peep of the Infinite Edge Pro. You could always remove the tube peep sight of the Infinite Edge Pro, but the tube attachment would always be on the bow. More aesthetics than anything but still part of my thought process.

So… I ordered the Diamond Edge SB-1, and I have zero buyer’s remorse.

Out of the box, the bow is ready to shoot. I adjusted the draw length using the rotation modules built into the certified Bowtech synchronized cam system, which made this modification simple. There are three small screws on each module to set the draw length. The process is easy to do, and this is coming from a guy that has shot a bow a total of two times before.

Diamond Edge SB-1 adjustable cam system.  Remove the three screws above with an Allen wrench and line up the mark with the desired draw length.  No bow press required. — Diamond Edge SB-1 adjustable cam system. Remove the three screws above with an Allen wrench and line up the mark with the desired draw length. No bow press required.

Next I changed the draw weight. Again, Diamond made it very easy to adjust the Edge SB-1. The EZ Adjust limb bolts and markings make it fool proof to adjust. Draw weight made simple and the total time to adjust was under two minutes.

The EZ Adjust system is well...  easy.  Using an Allen wrench, tighten or loosen to the desired draw weight.  Marks on both the limp and adjuster take the guessing game out of tuning a bow. — The EZ Adjust system is well... easy. Using an Allen wrench, tighten or loosen to the desired draw weight. Marks on both the limp and adjuster take the guessing game out of tuning a bow.

I purchased two boxes of the Beaman White arrows to go with the Diamond Archery Edge SB-1 and I am happy with the quality of their arrows but I will give them a full review another day.

After all the adjustments, I headed out to shoot my new bow. The first six shots were all over the map as I tried to find out how the bow would shoot and where the sights were aiming but the second grouping I shot was dead-on. I couldn't believe the Diamond Archery Edge SB-1 could shoot that good out of the box and without a peep sight installed. (The peep sight is not installed at the factory but was easy to install at home after my first full day of shooting.)

I am a complete newbie to the archery world but I am impressed with the quality of the Diamond Archery Edge SB-1 and look forward to tuning in the bow further.