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This article is about the in-game items. For program enhancing software, see Programs and Editors.

A tool is an item used by the player while held to perform actions faster and more efficiently, to gather materials not obtainable by hand, to gain information, or to perform completely new actions. With the exception of the clock, compass, empty bucket, and lead, tools do not stack in the inventory. Tools can be repaired; see Item repair.

Obtaining[]

Mob loot[]

Main article: Drops

Some tools can be obtained by killing mobs that carry the equipment.

Crafting[]

Most tools can be obtained through crafting.

Name Ingredients Crafting recipe Description
Flint and Steel Iron Ingot +
Flint


Flint and Steel Damaged Flint and Steel


The durability of the two tools is added together, plus an extra 5% durability.
Axe Any Planks or
Iron Ingot or
Gold Ingot or
Diamond +
Stick

Stone Axe Any stone-tier block +
Stick

Can use cobblestone and its other variants interchangeably.
Axe Damaged Matching Axe


The durability of the two axes is added together, plus an extra 5% durability.
Hoe Any Planks or
Iron Ingot or
Gold Ingot or
Diamond +
Stick

Stone Hoe Any stone-tier block +
Stick

Can use cobblestone and its other variants interchangeably.
Hoe Damaged Matching Hoe


The durability of the two hoes is added together, plus an extra 5% durability.
Shovels Any Planks or
Iron Ingot or
Gold Ingot or
Diamond +
Stick

Stone Shovel Any stone-tier block +
Stick

Can use any variant of cobblestone
Shovel Damaged Matching Shovel


The durability of the two shovels is added together, plus an extra 5% durability.
Pickaxe Any Planks or
Iron Ingot or
Gold Ingot or
Diamond +
Stick

Stone Pickaxe Any stone-tier block +
Stick

Can use cobblestone and its other variants interchangeably.
Pickaxe Matching Damaged Pickaxes


The durability of the two pickaxes is added together, plus an extra 5% of the tool type's total durability.
Compass Iron Ingot +
Redstone Dust

Compass
Fishing Rod Stick +
String

Fishing Rod Damaged Fishing Rod


The durability of the two fishing rods is added together, plus an extra 5% durability.
Clock Gold Ingot +
Redstone Dust

Clock
Shears Iron Ingot

Shears Damaged Shears


The durability of the two shears is added together, plus an extra 5% durability.
Lead String +
Slimeball
Bundle String +
Rabbit Hide

[only experimental "bundle"][until JE 1.21.2]
Bundle String +
Leather

[only experimental "bundle"][upcoming: JE 1.21.2]
Brush Feather +
Copper Ingot +
Stick

Brush Damaged Brush


The durability of the two brushes is added together, plus an extra 5% durability.
Spyglass Amethyst Shard +
Copper Ingot

Recovery Compass Echo Shard +
Compass
Compass
Recovery Compass

Upgrading[]

Netherite tools can be obtained only through upgrading.

Usage[]

Best tools[]

Main article: Breaking

Many blocks have a preferred tool to break them. Some blocks can be broken only with certain tools. The tool's material also affects how fast a block is mined. Materials from worst to best in terms of mining speed are wooden, stone, iron, diamond, netherite, gold.

Item durability[]

Main article: Durability

Different tools have different amounts of durability. Some uses require more durability to be used than others. A tool's durability is also affected by its material. Materials from worst to best in terms of durability are gold, wooden, stone, iron, diamond, netherite.

Some tools are not block-breaking tools: This includes bows, fishing rods, carrots on sticks, flint & steel, and buckets. Such tools are no better than bare fists at breaking blocks, but they do not take damage from doing so—they take damage from being used in their own intended manners.

Item enchantability[]

Materials from worst to best in terms of enchantability are stone, diamond, iron, wooden/netherite, gold.

Smelting[]

Main article: Smelting

Iron or golden tools can be smelted into nuggets.

IngredientsSmithing recipe
Netherite Upgrade +
Diamond Hoe or
Diamond Shovel or
Diamond Pickaxe or
Diamond Axe +
Netherite Ingot
Upgrade Gear

Name Ingredients Smelting recipe
Iron Nugget Any iron tools +
Any fuel


0.1
Gold Nugget Any golden tools +
Any fuel


0.1
Fuel
  • Wooden tools can be used as a fuel in furnaces, smelting 1 item per tool.
  • A fishing rod can be used as fuel in furnaces, smelting 1.5‌[JE only]/1‌[BE only] items per fishing rod.

History[]

This section is missing information about earlier Java Edition history between Indev and 1.3.1. 
Please expand the section to include this information. Further details may exist on the talk page.
Java Edition Indev
0.3120091231-2Added iron shovels.
20100110Added iron axes and pickaxes.
20100128Added wooden, stone, and diamond tools.
20100129Added crafting recipes for wooden, stone, iron, and diamond tools.
20100130Added golden tools.
20100131A tier system for wooden, stone, iron, diamond, and gold tools is added. Each tier has a different mining speed multiplier and durability.
20100201-2Tools are now required to break blocks and ores.
Java Edition
1.0.0RC1Tools now make a breaking sound and have a breaking animation.
All tools now also have breaking animation.
RC2Tools no longer break quickly after loading a world that was saved in RC1.
1.3.112w17aTools now have infinite durability in Creative mode.
12w18aWooden tools became able to be used as fuel for furnaces in case players didn't want to repair them or finish using them.
12w24aBreaking a block that can be instantly mined by hand (tall grass, torch, etc.) while holding a block-breaking tool no longer reduces the tool's durability.
1.6.113w21aInstead of replacing the barehanded damage (1♥), pickaxes, shovels, axes and swords now add their damage onto the barehanded damage.
1.11.116w50aGolden and iron tools now smelt down into one of their respective nuggets.
1.1418w48aTools cannot be repaired by crafting.
1.14.3Pre-Release 3Tools can be once again be repaired by crafting.
1.16.220w29aTools have a new arrange in the Creative inventory.
1.20
(Experimental)
23w04aUpgrading diamond tools to netherite tools now requires the netherite upgrade smithing template.
23w07aAdded brushes.
Pocket Edition Alpha
v0.2.0Added stone tools and shears.
v0.3.0Added wooden tools.
v0.3.2Added iron, diamond, and golden tools.
v0.3.3Added bows.
v0.4.0Added flint and steel and all hoe types.
v0.7.0Added buckets.
v0.7.4Flint and steel now ignite creepers.
v0.8.0build 1Added flint and steel to the Creative inventory.
build 3Added shears to the Creative inventory.
v0.11.0build 1Added fishing rod.
v0.15.0build 1Added carrot on a stick and leads.
Pocket Edition
1.1.0alpha 1.1.0.0Golden and iron tools now smelt down into one of their respective nuggets.
Legacy Console Edition
TU53CU43 1.49 Patch 231.0.3Golden and iron tools now smelt down into one of their respective nuggets.

Issues[]

Issues relating to "Tool" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.

Trivia[]

  • Gold tools are actually ranked as superior to diamond tools on the Legacy Console Edition's crafting screen.
  • Wooden tools can be burned in a furnace regardless of its durability; this means the player can burn a wooden tool that has only 1 use left.

See also[]

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