The Minecraft grindstone is a utility block that repairs tools, weapons, and armor, and removes enchantments from items while returning some experience points (XP). It also serves as the weaponsmith villager's job site block in Java Edition 1.14 and Bedrock Edition 1.11.
What a Minecraft grindstone does for you
The grindstone has two core functions. First, it repairs damaged tools, weapons, and armor by combining two identical items into one with restored durability. Second, it disenchants any enchanted item placed into it, stripping all enchantments and giving you back a portion of the XP that was spent to apply them. Additionally, placing a grindstone in a village turns an unemployed villager into a weaponsmith, which is useful for trading emeralds for weapons and armor.
Minecraft grindstone recipe: how to craft one
To craft a grindstone, you need 2 sticks, 1 stone slab, and 2 wooden planks. Open your crafting table's 3x3 grid and place the stone slab in the top-center slot. Put one stick to its left and one stick to its right. Finally, place the two wooden planks in the bottom-left and bottom-right slots. This crafting happens entirely inside Minecraft's own interface, not in any phone settings menu, so if you are playing on mobile, you do not need to open the Procreate digital art app or any other external program to make it.
How to use a grindstone to repair items
- Open the grindstone block by right-clicking or tapping it. This brings up its interface with two input slots and one output slot.
- Place two damaged items of the same type into the input slots. For example, two iron swords or two bows.
- Collect the repaired item from the output slot. The grindstone combines their remaining durability and adds a small bonus of 5% of the item's maximum durability. For example, repairing a bow with 45 durability and a bow with 30 durability yields a bow with 94 durability (75 combined + 19 bonus, which is 5% of the bow's max 384 durability).
How to use a grindstone to remove enchantments
- Open the grindstone interface.
- Place one enchanted item into either input slot. You do not need to fill both slots.
- Take the disenchanted item from the output slot. The enchantments are removed, and you receive XP based on the level of enchantments that were on the item.
Note that the grindstone cannot remove curses (such as Curse of Binding or Curse of Vanishing) or custom names that were given to the item via an anvil.
Grindstone vs. anvil vs. enchanting table
The grindstone removes enchantments and repairs items, making it the tool for stripping unwanted magic and fixing gear without preserving enchants. The anvil is used for combining items, repairing them while keeping enchantments, and applying enchanted books or renaming items. The enchanting table is used to add new enchantments to items in exchange for lapis lazuli and XP. In short: the enchanting table adds, the anvil combines and preserves, and the grindstone removes.
Where to find a grindstone in your world
Grindstones generate naturally inside weaponsmith buildings in villages. You can mine them with a pickaxe to collect the block and place it elsewhere. If you cannot find a village, crafting your own grindstone using the recipe above is the most reliable method.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I repair two different types of items in a grindstone?
No. The grindstone only repairs items of the exact same type, such as two diamond pickaxes or two leather helmets. You cannot combine a sword with an axe or a bow with a crossbow.
Does the grindstone cost XP to use?
No. Using the grindstone to repair or disenchant items costs nothing. In fact, disenchanting returns XP to you, while repairing only consumes the two items you place.
Can I use a grindstone to repair enchanted items without losing the enchantments?
No. Any item that goes through the grindstone loses all enchantments (except curses). If you want to repair an enchanted item while keeping its enchantments, you must use an anvil instead.
Does the grindstone work on all versions of Minecraft?
The grindstone is available in Minecraft Java Edition 1.14 and Bedrock Edition 1.11 and later. It works on all platforms that support those versions, including PC, console, and mobile devices.
Can I get back all the XP from an enchanted item?
No. The grindstone returns only a portion of the XP that was used to enchant the item. The exact amount depends on the enchantment levels, but it is always less than the original cost.
