How to Make a Pickaxe in Minecraft

Craft pickaxes from wood, stone, iron, gold, diamonds, or even Netherite

Before you can start mining and crafting, you need to know how to make a pickaxe in Minecraft. Pickaxes can be crafted from wood, stone, iron, gold, diamonds, or even Netherite.

The instructions in this article apply to Minecraft on all platforms.

How Do You Craft a Pickaxe in Minecraft?

To make a pickaxe, you need 2 Sticks and 3 of another item. The steps are basically the same no matter what type you're making. The only exception is the Nethrite Pickaxe, which requires a Smithing Table.

The easiest tool to make is a Wooden Pickaxe since all you need is wood. Wooden Pickaxes will mine basic stone blocks:

  1. Make Sticks. Use 2 Wood Planks of the same type.

    Make Wood Planks using Blocks of Wood you get from punching trees.

    A stick in the crafting gird in Minecraft
  2. Make a Crafting Table. Use 4 Wood Planks of the same type.

    A Crafting Table in the crafting gird in Minecraft
  3. Put the Crafting Table on the ground and open it, then place 3 Wooden Planks in the top row. Place 2 Sticks in the middle boxes of the second and third rows.

    A Wooden Pickaxe in a Crafting Table in Minecraft

How Do You Make a Stone Pickaxe in Minecraft?

To craft a Stone Pickaxe, open your Crafting Table, place 3 Cobblestone in the top row, then place 2 Sticks in the middle of the second and third rows.

Stone Pickaxes mine stone blocks faster than Wooden Pickaxes, and they are twice as durable. They can also mine Iron Ore and Lapis Lazuli.

In the Java version, you can use other types of stones (instead of Cobblestone) to craft Stone Pickaxes.

A Stone Pickaxe in a Crafting Table in Minecraft

How Do You Make an Iron Pickaxe in Minecraft?

To craft an Iron Pickaxe, open your Crafting Table, place 3 Iron Ingots in the top row, then place 2 Sticks in the middle of the second and third rows.

Craft Iron Ingots by smelting Iron Ore in a Furnace. An Iron Pickaxe is needed to mine Gold, Redstone, and Diamonds.

An Iron Pickaxe in a Crafting Table in Minecraft

How Do You Make a Golden Pickaxe in Minecraft?

To craft a Golden Pickaxe, open your Crafting Table, place 3 Gold Ingots in the top row, then place 2 Sticks in the middle of the second and third rows.

Craft Gold Ingots by smelting Raw Gold in a Furnace. Golden Pickaxes mine stone blocks faster than other pickaxes, but they are the least durable. They cannot mine Diamonds.

A Golden Pickaxe in a Crafting Table in Minecraft

How Do You Make a Diamond Pickaxe in Minecraft?

To craft a Diamond Pickaxe, open your Crafting Table, place 3 Diamonds in the top row, then place 2 Sticks in the middle of the second and third rows.

To mine Diamonds, use an Iron Pickaxe or stronger on Diamond Ore. You need a Diamond Pickaxe to mine Obsidian and Ancient Debris in the Nether. It's the most durable pickaxe, but it's not as fast as a Golden Pickaxe.

You can add enchantments to Pickaxes using an Enchantment Table or an Enchanted Book and an Anvil.

A Diamond Pickaxe in a Crafting Table in Minecraft

How Do You Make a Netherite Pickaxe in Minecraft?

To craft a Netherite Pickaxe, combine a Diamond Pickaxe and a Netherite Ingot in a Smithing Table. Follow these steps:

  1. Mine 4 Ancient Debris. Use a Diamond Pickaxe. Ancient Debris can only be found in The Nether, so build a Nether Portal if you don't have one.

    Mining Ancient Debris in Minecraft
  2. Mine 4 Raw Gold. Use an Iron Pickaxe or stronger on Gold Ore.

    Mining Gold in Minecraft
  3. Use the Furnace to smelt your 4 Ancient Debris into 4 Netherite Scraps.

    Netherite Scrap in a Furnace in Minecraft
  4. Use the Furnace to smelt 4 Raw Gold into 4 Gold Ingots.

    A Gold Ingot in a Furnace in Minecraft
  5. In a Crafting Table, combine your 4 Gold Ingots and 4 Netherite Scraps to make a Netherite Ingot. It doesn't matter how you arrange them.

    A Netherite Ingot in a Crafting Table
  6. Craft a Smithing Table. In a Crafting Table, place 2 Iron Ingots in the first two boxes of the top row, then place 2 Wood Planks (any type) in the first two boxes of the middle and bottom rows.

    A Smithing Table in a Crafting Table
  7. Place your Smithing Table on the ground and open it. Put a Diamond Pickaxe in the left box and a Netherite Ingot in the right box, then drag the Netherite Pickaxe into your inventory.

    A Netherite Pickaxe in a Smithing Table in Minecraft
FAQ
  • What are the best enchantments for a pickaxe in Minecraft?

    The most useful pickaxe enchantments are Efficiency, which lets you mine faster; Fortune, which gets you more block drops; and Unbreaking, which lets you use your pickaxe longer. You can also add a Mending enchantment to use your XP to repair tools. To mine actual blocks (instead of breaking them), add Silk Touch.

  • How do I repair a pickaxe in Minecraft?

    Use an Anvil to repair a pickaxe (or any other tool) in Minecraft. Place the item you're fixing in the left slot, and another of the same on the right. You can also use a material for repairs; for example, to repair an Iron Pickaxe, use more Iron.

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