Minecraft Grindstone Recipe & Uses
Complete guide to Minecraft Grindstone - crafting recipe, disenchanting, repairing items, and how it compares to anvils
Complete guide to the Minecraft Grindstone including crafting recipe, disenchanting mechanics, repair functionality, and comparison with anvils.
Key Features
| Feature | Grindstone | Anvil |
|---|---|---|
| Disenchanting | ✓ (returns XP) | ✗ |
| Repairing | ✓ (free) | ✓ (costs materials/XP) |
| Combining Items | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cost | Free | Costs XP or materials |
| Remove Curses | ✗ | ✗ |
| Rename Items | ✗ | ✓ |
| Villager Job | Weaponsmith | Toolsmith |
Uses & Features
Disenchanting
The Grindstone is the primary way to remove enchantments from items:
- Place enchanted item in left slot
- Empty item in right slot (or another enchanted item)
- Result: Enchantment removed, XP returned
The amount of XP returned depends on the enchantment levels removed.
Free Repairs
Unlike anvils, Grindstones repair items for free:
- Place two damaged items of the same type
- Result: One repaired item (durability combined + 5% bonus)
- No cost - no materials or XP required
Trade-off: All enchantments are removed during repair.
Combining Items
You can place two of the same item in the Grindstone to:
- Combine their durability
- Remove all enchantments
- Return experience based on enchantment levels
This is useful for resetting heavily enchanted gear before re-enchanting.
Villager Jobs
Place a Grindstone near an unemployed villager to assign them as a Weaponsmith. Weaponsmiths trade:
- Iron and diamond weapons
- Axes, swords
- Bell trades
- Emerald for various items
Usage Tips
Curse Limitations
Grindstones cannot remove:
- Curse of Binding - Item cannot be removed from armor slots
- Curse of Vanishing - Item disappears on death
These curses are permanent and will remain on the item even after using a Grindstone.
Grindstone vs Anvil Strategy
Use Grindstone when:
- Removing unwanted enchantments
- Resetting gear for re-enchanting
- Repairing items without enchantments
- Getting XP from unwanted enchanted gear
Use Anvil when:
- Enchanting items with books
- Repairing while keeping enchantments
- Renaming items
- Combining enchanted books with gear
XP Farming
Grindstones are excellent for XP farming:
- Collect unwanted enchanted gear from fishing, raids, or trading
- Disenchant on Grindstone
- Collect free XP levels
- Repair with Mending for sustainable XP
This is especially useful late-game when you have excess enchanted gear.
Best Practices
For Armor and Tools:
- Keep Mending on important gear
- Use Grindstone to remove bad enchantments
- Use Anvil to add desired enchantments
- Always disenchant before trashing gear (free XP!)
For Resource Management:
- Repair with Grindstone when you don't care about enchantments
- Use Anvil to preserve valuable enchantments
- Disenchant instead of deleting items (get XP back)
FAQ
How do I make a Grindstone in Minecraft?
Craft a Grindstone using 2 Sticks, 1 Stone Slab (any stone type), and 2 Wooden Planks (any type). Arrange them: Sticks in the top corners, Stone Slab in the top center, Planks in the middle left and right.
What does a Grindstone do in Minecraft?
Grindstones have two main functions: 1) Remove enchantments from items (returning XP), and 2) Repair items by combining two identical items. Both functions are free and don't cost materials or XP.
Can a Grindstone remove curses?
No. Grindstones cannot remove Curse of Binding or Curse of Vanishing enchantments. These curses are permanent and will remain on the item even after using a Grindstone.
Is a Grindstone better than an Anvil?
They serve different purposes. Grindstones are free and remove enchantments. Anvils cost XP but can add enchantments and keep existing ones. Use Grindstone to reset enchanted gear, and Anvil to enchant and repair.
Do I get XP back from disenchanting?
Yes! When you disenchant an item on a Grindstone, you receive experience points based on the enchantment levels removed. This is a great way to get XP from unwanted enchanted gear.
Can I repair Netherite tools on a Grindstone?
Yes, you can repair Netherite tools on a Grindstone by combining two damaged Netherite items. However, this will remove all enchantments from the tool. Use an Anvil if you want to keep the enchantments.
Why use a Grindstone instead of an Anvil?
Use a Grindstone when you want to remove enchantments or repair items for free. Use an Anvil when you want to add enchantments, keep existing enchantments, or rename items. Grindstones are free; Anvils cost XP or materials.
Can you use a Grindstone on a sword with curses?
Yes, but the curses will remain. For example, if you have a sword with Curse of Vanishing and use a Grindstone, all other enchantments will be removed but the curse will stay. The sword will still disappear if you die with it.
What villager job uses a Grindstone?
The Grindstone is the job site block for the Weaponsmith profession. Weaponsmiths trade iron and diamond weapons, including swords, axes, and other combat gear.
How much XP do you get from disenchanting?
The amount of XP returned depends on the enchantment levels removed. Higher-level enchantments return more XP. For example, disenchanting a Sharpness V sword returns significantly more XP than a Sharpness I sword.
Can you combine two different items on a Grindstone?
No, both items must be the same type. For example, you can combine two iron swords but not an iron sword and a diamond sword. If you try to combine different items, the Grindstone won't work.
What happens to enchanted books on a Grindstone?
You can disenchant enchanted books on a Grindstone to recover the XP. However, you cannot combine enchanted books with items using a Grindstone - you need an Anvil for that.