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Pickaxe
Rarity |
Common |
---|---|
Durability |
Wood: 59 |
Renewable |
Yes |
Stackable |
No |
Namespaced ID |
See Data values |
![]() |
“ |
|
„ |
— Duncan Geere[1] |
Pickaxes are one of the most commonly used tools in the game, being required to mine all ores, rock, rock-based blocks and metal-based blocks. They allow the player to mine blocks at faster speeds, with the speed increasing depending on the material it is made out of.
Contents
Obtaining[edit]
Crafting[edit]
Pickaxes are crafted using 2 sticks and 3 units of a tool material.
Ingredients | Crafting recipe | Description |
---|---|---|
Any Planks or Cobblestone or Iron Ingot or Gold Ingot or Diamond + Stick |
||
Damaged Matching Pickaxes | The durability of the two pickaxes is added together, plus an extra 5% of the tool type's total durability. |
Repairing[edit]
Grinding[edit]
Ingredients | Grinding recipe | Description |
---|---|---|
2x Damaged Wooden Pickaxe or 2x Damaged Stone Pickaxe or 2x Damaged Iron Pickaxe or 2x Damaged Golden Pickaxe or 2x Damaged Diamond Pickaxe |
The durability of the two pickaxes is added together, plus an extra 5% durability. |
Unit repair[edit]
A pickaxe can be repaired in an anvil by adding units of the corresponding material, each restores 25% its maximum durability, rounded down.
Natural generation[edit]
Wooden pickaxes can be found in 75.0% of bonus chests in groups of 1.
Stone pickaxes can be found in 25.0% of bonus chests in groups of 1.
Iron pickaxes can be found in 12.1% of stronghold altar chests, 41.2% of village toolsmith chests, 4.0% of stronghold storeroom chests, 25.6% of village weaponsmith chests, and 7.0% of chest minecarts in Mineshafts, all in groups of 1.
In Bedrock Edition they can be found in 11.8% of stronghold altar chests and 3.2% of stronghold storeroom chests in groups of 1.
Enchanted iron pickaxes[note 1] can be found in 13.3% of End city chests in groups of 1.
Enchanted diamond pickaxes[note 1] can be found in 13.3% of End city chests in groups of 1.
- Notes
- ↑ a b Enchantment probabilities are the same as a level-20 to level-39 enchantment would be on an enchantment table that had no cap at level 30, and that was able to apply treasure enchantments, and where the chance of multiple enchantments is not reduced.
Trading[edit]
In Legacy Console Edition, toolsmith villagers sell enchanted iron pickaxes for 9–11 emeralds as one of their second tier trades, and enchanted diamond pickaxes for 12–15 emeralds as one of their third tier trades.
In Bedrock Edition, novice-level toolsmith villagers have a 25% chance to sell stone pickaxes for one emerald, Journeyman-level toolsmith villagers have a 25% chance to sell enchanted iron pickaxes for 3 emeralds, and master-level toolsmith villagers always sell enchanted diamond pickaxes for 13 emeralds.
In Java Edition, novice-level toolsmith villagers have a 40% chance to sell a stone pickaxe for one emerald, journeyman-level toolsmith villagers have a 40% chance to sell an enchanted iron pickaxe for 7–22 emeralds, and a master-level toolsmith always sell an enchanted diamond pickaxe for 18–35 emeralds.
The enchantments are the same as the ones obtained from an enchantment table at levels 5–19.
Usage[edit]
Mining[edit]
A pickaxe is used to break stone and metal based materials faster. When a block is broken using a pickaxe, the pickaxe uses 1 durability. For blocks that break instantly, it uses 0 durability. Pickaxes have different amounts of uses based on the type:
- Wooden: 59
- Stone: 131
- Iron: 250
- Golden: 32
- Diamond: 1561
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 or diamond pickaxe, or else the player harvests no ore. Different pickaxes also mine many materials at different speeds:
Speed[edit]
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 that type of pickaxe.
- A yellow background indicates that the block cannot be harvested with that type of pickaxe, but still drops something.
- A green background indicates that the block can be harvested with that type of pickaxe.
Times to break blocks by pickaxe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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|
Weapon[edit]
Hiting a mob with a pickaxe is a stronger attack than if barehanded. Pickaxes use 2 durability when used as a weapon.
Java Edition[edit]
Pickaxes have an attack speed modifier of -2.8, meaning they take about 0.83 seconds to recover. All pickaxes have an attack speed of 1.2 hits/second. They deal different damage based on the type:
Pickaxe type | Attack damage | Damage/second (DPS) |
---|---|---|
Wooden Pickaxe Golden Pickaxe |
2 |
2.4 |
Stone Pickaxe | 3 |
3.6 |
Iron Pickaxe | 4 |
4.8 |
Diamond Pickaxe | 5 |
6 |
Legacy Console, PS4 and Bedrock editions[edit]
In the Legacy Console, PS4 and Bedrock editions, pickaxes always attack instantly and do the following damage:
Pickaxe type | Attack damage |
---|---|
Wooden Pickaxe Golden Pickaxe |
3 |
Stone Pickaxe | 4 |
Iron Pickaxe | 5 |
Diamond Pickaxe | 6 |
Enchantments[edit]
A pickaxe can receive the following enchantments:
Name | Max Level |
---|---|
Efficiency | V |
Fortune[note 1] | III |
Silk Touch[note 1] | I |
Unbreaking | III |
Mending[note 2][note 3] | I |
Curse of Vanishing[note 2][JE & LCE only] | I |
Fuel[edit]
Wooden pickaxes can be used as a fuel in furnaces, smelting 1 item per pickaxe.
Smelting ingredient[edit]
Name | Ingredients | Smelting recipe |
---|---|---|
Iron Nugget or Gold Nugget |
Iron Pickaxe or Golden Pickaxe + Any fuel |
Achievements[edit]
Icon | Achievement | In-game description | Actual requirements (if different) | Availability | Xbox points earned | Trophy type (PS) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Xbox | PS | Bedrock | Nintendo | ||||||
Time to Mine! | Use planks and sticks to make a pickaxe | Pick up any type of pickaxe from a crafting table output. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 10G | Bronze | |
Getting an Upgrade | Construct a better pickaxe | Pick up a pickaxe from a crafting table output that is not a wooden pickaxe. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 15G | Bronze | |
MOAR Tools | Construct one type of each tool (one pickaxe, one shovel, one axe and one hoe). | Yes | Yes | Yes | Wii U, Switch | 15G | Bronze |
Advancements[edit]
Icon | Advancement | In-game description | Parent | Actual requirements (if different) | Namespaced ID |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Stone Age | Mine stone with your new pickaxe | Minecraft | Have cobblestone in your inventory. | story/mine_stone |
![]() | Getting an Upgrade | Construct a better pickaxe | Stone Age | Have a stone pickaxe in your inventory. | story/upgrade_tools |
![]() | Isn't It Iron Pick | Upgrade your pickaxe | Acquire Hardware | Have an iron pickaxe in your inventory. | story/iron_tools |
Sounds[edit]
Sound | Subtitle | Namespaced ID | Subtitle ID | Source | Pitch | Volume | Attenuation distance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Item breaks | entity.item.break
|
subtitles.entity.item.break
|
? | 0.9 | 1.0 | 16 |
Data values[edit]
Pickaxes have an item data field to determine durability, and use five different IDs
ID[edit]
Pickaxes use their ID to determine their grade.
Item | Namespaced ID | Numeric ID[BE only] |
---|---|---|
Wooden Pickaxe | wooden_pickaxe
|
270 |
Stone Pickaxe | stone_pickaxe
|
274 |
Iron Pickaxe | iron_pickaxe
|
257 |
Diamond Pickaxe | diamond_pickaxe
|
278 |
Golden Pickaxe | golden_pickaxe
|
285 |
Video[edit]
History[edit]
Java Edition Indev | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
0.31 | January 11, 2010, 1 | ![]() | |||
A pickaxe is used to gather stone materials 400% faster than by hand. | |||||
When starting in a new world, the player is given one of each tools. | |||||
January 24, 2010 | A complete tool set is now no longer given to the player on starting a new world. Instead, there are multiple chests in the (later called) "Indev House", which contains a stack of every available block and item, including tools. | ||||
January 28, 2010 | A pickaxe held by the player now appears more 3d like. | ||||
January 29, 2010 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||||
Added crafting recipe for iron pickaxes as well as the newly introduced variants. | |||||
January 30, 2010 | ![]() | ||||
February 1, 2010, 3 | Tools now take damage when being used. | ||||
Better tools now last longer. | |||||
Better pickaxes are now required to mine harder materials. | |||||
Indev | February 6, 2010 | ![]() | |||
Java Edition Beta | |||||
1.2 | Before, the pickaxe had much less durability (usually half as much). | ||||
Gold pickaxes now mine certain materials much faster. | |||||
1.8 | Pre-release | Iron pickaxes are now found in the new stronghold storeroom chests, and in the new mineshaft chests. | |||
Java Edition | |||||
1.0.0 | Beta 1.9 Prerelease 3 | Iron pickaxes can now be found in the new stronghold altar chests. | |||
RC1 | Pickaxes and other tools now make a sound when they break. | ||||
1.1 | 12w01a | Iron pickaxes are now found in the new village blacksmith chests. | |||
1.3.1 | 12w16a | Wooden and stone pickaxes are now found in the new bonus chests. | |||
12w18a | Wooden pickaxes can now be used as fuel in a furnace. | ||||
12w21a | Blacksmith villagers now sell 1 diamond pickaxe for 10–11 emeralds, and 1 iron pickaxe for 7–8 emeralds. | ||||
1.8 | 14w02a | Tool smith villagers now sell 1 enchanted diamond pickaxe for 12–15 emeralds, and 1 enchanted iron pickaxe for 9–11 emeralds. | |||
Unenchanted pickaxes are now no longer sold by villagers. | |||||
1.9 | 15w31a | Enchanted iron and diamond pickaxes can now be found in the end ship chests in end cities. | |||
15w34a | Pickaxes now use the "attack strength" combat mechanic meter. The time it takes for the meter to fill up for a pickaxe is 0.8 seconds. | ||||
15w34c | Pickaxes now do less damage, but recover quicker. | ||||
15w35a | Pickaxes now recover more slowly. | ||||
15w44a | The average yield of wood and stone pickaxes in bonus chests has been decreased. | ||||
The average yield of iron pickaxes in mineshaft chests has been increased. | |||||
1.11.1 | 16w50a | Golden and iron pickaxes can now be smelted down into one of their respective nuggets. | |||
1.13 | 17w47a | Prior to The Flattening, these items' numeral IDs were 270, 274, 257, 278 and 285. | |||
1.14 | 18w43a | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |||
Pocket Edition Alpha | |||||
0.2.0 | ![]() | ||||
0.3.0 | ![]() | ||||
0.3.2 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||||
0.11.0 | build 11 | All pickaxes are now available in the creative inventory. | |||
build 12 | All pickaxes have now been removed from creative. | ||||
build 13 | Pickaxes have now been re-added to creative mode. | ||||
0.14.0 | build 1 | Iron pickaxes can now be found inside minecart with chests in abandoned mineshafts. | |||
Pocket Edition | |||||
1.0.0 | alpha 0.17.0.1 | Enchanted iron pickaxes and enchanted diamond pickaxes can now be found in end cities. | |||
1.0.4 | alpha 1.0.4.0 | Toolsmith villagers now sell enchanted diamond pickaxes for 12-15 emeralds as their last tier trades and enchanted iron pickaxes for 9-11 emeralds as their second tier trades. | |||
1.1.0 | alpha 1.1.0.0 | Iron and golden pickaxes are now smeltable. | |||
Bedrock Edition | |||||
1.2.0 | ? | Wooden and stone pickaxes can now be found inside bonus chests. | |||
1.10.0 | beta 1.10.0.3 | Iron pickaxes can now be found in plains village weaponsmith houses. | |||
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |||||
1.11.0 | beta 1.11.0.1 | Iron pickaxes can now be found in village toolsmiths chests and in savanna, taiga, snowy taiga and desert village weaponsmith chests. | |||
beta 1.11.0.4 | Trading has now been changed, toolsmith villagers now have a 25% chance to sell an enchanted iron pickaxe for 3 emeralds as part of their third tier trades, and an enchanted diamond pickaxe now costs 13 emeralds. | ||||
Stone pickaxes can now be bought from toolsmith villagers. | |||||
Legacy Console Edition | |||||
TU1 | CU1 | 1.0 | Patch 1 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
TU53 | CU43 | 1.49 | Patch 23 | Patch s3 | Iron and golden pickaxes are now smeltable. |
PlayStation 4 Edition | |||||
1.90 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Issues[edit]
Issues relating to "Pickaxe" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.
Trivia[edit]
Publicity[edit]
- Foam Stone pickaxes are official Minecraft merchandise.[2]
- In the game Naughty Bear: Panic in Paradise, the player can buy a diamond pickaxe which, according to the game, is made by Kick it up a Notch Pickaxes, referring to Notch.
- In the mobile game Vlogger Go Viral clicker game, after buying the figurine shelf, there is a model of a diamond pickaxe stuck to a grass block.
- In the game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, the player can find a pickaxe called the "Notched Pickaxe", evidently an easter egg.
- In the game Offensive Combat, a stone pickaxe can be used as a melee weapon with the name of "The Notch Carver".
- In the game The Binding of Isaac, an obtainable item named "Notched Axe", also with a drawn 8-bit look, can be used to destroy rocks. The Notched Axe also makes a return in the game's remake, The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth.
- In the game "Borderlands 2", the player can find a secret area hidden away by blocks resembling Minecraft Dirt, also once inside the player can fight Creeper and the Mother Creeper to get rare Minecraft-related weapons.