Diamond Carbon Cure Review

December 02, 2014 By Jon E. Silks

Diamond's stated mission is to deliver the most high-quality, durable archery products at the best price. It's all about scoring well on the price/performance scale, which basically means it's focused on giving customers more bang for their buck, so-to-speak. Diamond is now applying that concept in the carbon arena and challenging the higher price tags that tend to be the norm. The Carbon Cure retails for only $699!

The bow features a riser built with a new, proprietary carbon technology, a single-cam system that produces good speeds, parallel glass composite limbs and more.

A New Take on Carbon

Diamond's Carbon Cure is built on the Knight Riser platform, which BOWTECH unveiled to the archery industry last year. While little detail is available about the processes used to manufacture this riser, the company does make it clear the material is carbon fiber. It is also clear the new process has allowed them to pass along cost savings to customers, which is evidenced by the price tag.

Bottom line — the Carbon Cure is super light, flex tested to 800 pounds and has proven itself durable through thousands upon thousands of shot cycles without a failure. And remember, this is all on a bow that costs less than many flagship aluminum bows on the market.

The Cure's grip is formed by the contoured handle area, which is set to an angle designed to produce a neutral wrist position. Two soft Diamond logo inlays complete the grip. A rubber-tipped string stop and carbon cable rod/slide are anchored to separate mounting brackets with small setscrews, while the stabilizer mount is machined directly into the bottom bracket.

One Cam, Eight Options

Diamond features a rotating module on its Cure single cam that allows draw-length adjustments from 27-30€‰1„2 inches, in half-inch increments. There's no need to switch out cams or modules and you can make the change in just a couple minutes without the use of a bow press. Just be sure to also move the accompanying draw stop into the corresponding position by matching the clearly marked number on the module to the equally apparent number on the cam.

Another handy addition to the cam is a set of timing/tuning marks that indicate the proper position of the cable. Both the cam and idler wheel are machined out of aluminum and ride on stainless steel ball bearings and axles. The Cure is advertised to reach IBO speeds of 325 fps on a 7-inch brace height and 80 percent letoff. Diamond uses Octane factory strings and cables, which are made with BCY 452X.

Integrated Pocket, Trusted Limbs

A section of the Cure's riser is actually shaped into a limb cradle and plays a vital part in controlling and aligning the limbs. A rocker sits between the cradle and the actual limb. The limb bolt cap is anchored into two notches on the limb's side and completes the ultra-light, minimalist pocket. Limbs are made of time tested and trusted Gordon Glass Composite materials and reach a parallel position at full draw.

Ready, Aim, Kill

Diamond's Carbon Cure comes complete with its R.A.K. system, which comes with preset accessories that are installed and tested at the factory so your bow is ready to rock right out of the box. Accessories include a custom 4-pin sight, Octane DeadLock Lite quiver, Octane Hostage XL arrow rest, Octane 5-inch Ultra-Lite stabilizer, comfort wrist sling, BCY string loop, alloy peep and Dura-Flx string dampening components.

Impressions

While shooting the Carbon Cure, it was hard not to focus on the extreme lightweight handling. It's one of the lightest adult bows I have ever tested. Without a doubt, this quality would shine as you hit the mountains or made long treks into the backcountry.

Along with the feathery mass, there was a measure of kick, vibration and noise at the shot. A good stabilizer and a single household rubber band tied to the string made a significant improvement.

The Cure's draw cycle is smooth, and it has a rock-solid aim.

Specifications

Manufacturer: Diamond Archery, 877-447-0293

Model: Carbon Cure

Cam System: Single Cam

Weight: 3.3 pounds (advertised and as tested)

Brace Height: 7 inches

Axle-To-Axle length: 32 inches

Letoff: 80 percent

Draw Weights: 50, 60 and 70 pounds peak

Draw Lengths: 27-30€‰1„2 inches, in half-inch increments (rotating module)

Riser: Carbon Fiber, reflex