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Naturally occurring iron pickaxes can spawn inside chests in Abandoned Mine Shafts.

Pickaxes are one of the most commonly used tools in the game, being required to mine all ores and many other types of blocks. Different qualities of pickaxe are required to successfully harvest certain ores and blocks. For example, while stone can be mined with any pickaxe, gold ore must be mined with an iron pickaxe or better, or else the player will harvest no ore. Different pickaxes also mine many materials at different speeds (see the Speed and Durability table below).

Uses

The pickaxe is used in the game to mine blocks. A pickaxe is the more important tool to go further in the game of Minecraft being almost impossible to complete the game without using it. However, it is possible to complete the game without using it recurring to iron golems to get iron and making the nether portal by "molding" it with water and lava; but doing all that without using the pickaxe to mine anything, and finding a stronghold without it, is extremly tedious. Some players take this as a challenge to their knowledge of alternative ways to advance in-game. Blocks minable by the pickaxe include, but are not limited to:

Ore

Stone

The pickaxe does one full heart less damage to mobs than the sword of the same material.

A mnemonic for when to use the second-highest, Iron pick, to mine greater than-it ores, is "DGR" ("digger") : or "DiGoRe," that is to use at least Iron for mining Diamond, Gold, and /or Redstone. Diamond picks will even (slowly) mine Obsidian.

Crafting

Pickaxes are crafted using 2 sticks and 3 units of a tool material. A Crafting Pick (or iron ore) is required prior to crafting an Ore.

Ingredients Input » Output
Sticks +
Wooden Plank Ore or
Cobblestone Ore or
Blocks of iron or
Spleefards or
Diamond ingots
Template:Grid2/Crafting Table

Speed and durability

The following table shows the time it takes to break each type of block.

  • A red background indicates that the block cannot be harvested with a tool made from that material.
  • A yellow background indicates that the block cannot be harvested with any tool.
  • A blue background indicates that the block can only be harvested with a tool that has the silk touch enchantment.
Nothing Wood Stone Iron Diamond Gold
Durability 60 132 251 1562 33
Obsidian 250 s 250 s 250 s 250 s 9.4 s 250 s
Ender Chest 112.5 s 16.9 s 8.45 s 5.65 s 4.25 s 2.85 s
Anvil 25 s 3.75 s 1.9 s 1.25 s 0.95 s 0.65 s
Block of Diamond 25 s 25 s 25 s 1.25 s 0.95 s 25 s
Block of Emerald 25 s 25 s 25 s 1.25 s 0.95 s 0.65 s
Block of Iron 25 s 25 s 1.9 s 1.25 s 0.95 s 25 s
Enchantment Table 25 s 3.75 s 1.9 s 1.25 s 0.95 s 0.65 s
Iron Bars 25 s 3.75 s 1.9 s 1.25 s 0.95 s 0.65 s
Iron Door 25 s 3.75 s 1.9 s 1.25 s 0.95 s 0.65 s
Monster Spawner 25 s 3.75 s 1.9 s 1.25 s 0.95 s 0.65 s
Dispenser 17.5 s 2.65 s 1.35 s 0.9 s 0.7 s 0.45 s
Furnace 17.5 s 2.65 s 1.35 s 0.9 s 0.7 s 0.45 s
Block of Gold 15 s 15 s 15 s 0.75 s 0.6 s 15 s
Coal Ore 15 s 2.25 s 1.15 s 0.75 s 0.6 s 0.4 s
Diamond Ore 15 s 15 s 15 s 0.75 s 0.6 s 15 s
Emerald Ore 15 s 15 s 15 s 0.75 s 0.6 s 15 s
End Stone 15 s 2.25 s 1.15 s 0.75 s 0.6 s 0.4 s
Gold Ore 15 s 15 s 15 s 0.75 s 0.6 s 15 s
Iron Ore 15 s 15 s 1.15 s 0.75 s 0.6 s 15 s
Lapis Lazuli Block 15 s 15 s 1.15 s 0.75 s 0.6 s 15 s
Lapis Lazuli Ore 15 s 15 s 1.15 s 0.75 s 0.6 s 15 s
Redstone Ore 15 s 15 s 15 s 0.75 s 0.6 s 15 s
Brick Stairs 10 s 1.5 s 0.75 s 0.5 s 0.4 s 0.25 s
Bricks 10 s 1.5 s 0.75 s 0.5 s 0.4 s 0.25 s
Cauldron 10 s 1.5 s 0.75 s 0.5 s 0.4 s 0.25 s
Cobblestone 10 s 1.5 s 0.75 s 0.5 s 0.4 s 0.25 s
Cobblestone Wall 10 s 1.5 s 0.75 s 0.5 s 0.4 s 0.25 s
Moss Stone 10 s 1.5 s 0.75 s 0.5 s 0.4 s 0.25 s
Nether Brick 10 s 1.5 s 0.75 s 0.5 s 0.4 s 0.25 s
Nether Brick Fence 10 s 1.5 s 0.75 s 0.5 s 0.4 s 0.25 s
Nether Brick Stairs 10 s 1.5 s 0.75 s 0.5 s 0.4 s 0.25 s
Stone Slabs 10 s 1.5 s 0.75 s 0.5 s 0.4 s 0.25 s
Stone Stairs 10 s 1.5 s 0.75 s 0.5 s 0.4 s 0.25 s
Stone 7.5 s 1.15 s 0.6 s 0.4 s 0.3 s 0.2 s
Stone Brick 7.5 s 1.15 s 0.6 s 0.4 s 0.3 s 0.2 s
Stone Brick Stairs 7.5 s 1.15 s 0.6 s 0.4 s 0.3 s 0.2 s
Sandstone 4 s 0.6 s 0.3 s 0.2 s 0.15 s 0.1 s
Sandstone Stairs 4 s 0.6 s 0.3 s 0.2 s 0.15 s 0.1 s
Rails (including
detector and powered)
1.05 s 0.55 s 0.3 s 0.2 s 0.15 s 0.1 s
Brewing Stand 2.5 s 0.4 s 0.2 s 0.15 s 0.1 s 0.1 s
Ice 0.75 s 0.4 s 0.2 s 0.15 s 0.1 s 0.1 s
Stone Pressure Plate 2.5 s 0.4 s 0.2 s 0.15 s 0.1 s 0.1 s
Netherrack 2 s 0.3 s 0.15 s 0.1 s 0.1 s 0.05 s

Video

Pickaxe/video

Achievements

Main article: Achievements
Icon Achievement In-game description Prerequisites Actual requirements (if different) Version restriction Gamerscore earned
Advancement-plain-raw Time to Mine! Use planks and sticks to make a pickaxe Benchmarking Pick up a Wooden Pickaxe from a Crafting Table. None 10G
Advancement-plain-raw Getting an Upgrade Construct a better pickaxe Time to Mine! Pick up a Stone Pickaxe from a Crafting Table. None 15G
MOAR Tools
MOAR Tools Construct one type of each tool (one pickaxe, one spade, one axe and one hoe). Benchmarking Xbox 15G

History

b
1.2Before, the pickaxe had much less durability (usually half as much). Also before this update, Gold pickaxes acted like wooden ones.
1.9pre6Obsidian is quicker to mine (from 15 to 10 seconds).
r
1.0.0Pickaxes and other tools make a sound when they break.
1.3Before, it was impossible to obtain Ice, even with Silk Touch.

Trivia

  • In Abandoned Mineshafts, NPC Villages and strongholds, iron pickaxes can be found inside the chests.
  • Foam stone pickaxes are official Minecraft merchandise.[1]

References

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