Minecraft Tools Lists & Recipes – How to make Tools!

You are nothing without your tools in the game of Minecraft. These are used to mine up ore, chop down trees, dig up dirt, create farmland, catch fish, and a whole lot more. There's a ton of different helpful tools to be created, which will serve you well on your journey through the biomes of the game. So, we're going to walk you through exactly how to create every tool in Minecraft in this guide!

Most Important Tools

These are the tools that you would likely always be creating in every playthrough of Minecraft. All of these can be created in different qualities depending on the resource you use to make them. You can create them with planks, cobblestone, iron ingots, gold ingots, or diamonds. They can also even be upgraded to netherite, which is the highest tier quality in the game.

Axe

The axe can be used to help chop down trees. You are going to be using this one a lot, so make sure to have one on you at all times. There's another reason to have an axe with you and that is because it actually works quite well as a weapon. While you'll still likely want to have a sword, an axe does quite a bit of single-target damage. Swords are better for multiple enemies, where an axe can be quite deadly on a single target!

For a more detailed look at creating this tool, check out our how to make an axe guide!

Hoe

If you're looking to do any farming, then you're going to need a hoe to get it done. Farming is very useful, particularly in the early stages of the game when you don't have a reliable food source. You will use the hoe to create plots of land that can have seed planted into them. If you expose these to water and give them enough time you will have yourself some wheat, which you can turn into bread! This is a great way to feed yourself until you can round yourself up some livestock!

For a more detailed look at creating this tool, check out our how to make a hoe guide!

Pickaxe

The pickaxe might be the most iconic tool in the game, especially since the game itself is named after what you do with it! You will find yourself going through quite a few of these until you can get yourself a diamond, and hopefully a netherite version of one. There's a lot of mining to do if you're starting out in a world, so make sure you have one of these handy to dig yourself down into the depths to discover what lies below.

For a more detailed look at creating this tool, check out our how to make a pickaxe guide!

Shovel

This is the unsung hero of tools that you're going to need to have. You might not need it right away, but it sure will make forming your base and home a whole lot easier! The shovel makes short work of any dirt, sand, or gravel that stands in its way. You might find yourself using this thing as much as a pickaxe if you need to do any heavy land disruption where you've decided to craft your new home!

For a more detailed look at creating this tool, check out our how to make a shovel guide!

Other Tools

While these haven't made there way into the important tools list, they are certainly useful and you will be glad to have them when they are necessary!

Clock

The clock isn't super useful, but it's a nice to have if you find yourself deep below the surface and wondering if you should come up for some air. It will alert you if it's night time and that you might need to worry about what is lurking above. It's a bit on the pricey side, so only craft this if you've got some gold to spare!

For a more detailed look at creating this tool, check out our how to make a clock guide!

Compass

The compass is useful for figuring out where you are in relation to where you've been. It's a good idea to take one of these if you're headed off to unexplored lands. You can also use the compass to create maps that will fill in as you explore! This is particularly useful for finding your way back to locations you've been in the past.

For a more detailed look at creating this tool, check out our how to make a compass guide!

Fishing Rod

If you want an alternative source of food, then the fishing rod makes a great way to obtain some! While you're out fishing, you might even pull some interesting things out of the water. These can be quite useful, so keep a look out for anything peculiar that you takes your bait!

For a more detailed look at creating this tool, check out our how to make a fishing rod guide!

Flint and Steel

The flint and steel is good for some temporary lighting, starting a fire if you need one, or opening up a portal to another dimension! Whatever your usage for this item, you'll be glad you have it nearby when you need a quick fire.

For a more detailed look at creating this tool, check out our how to make flint and steel guide!

Lead

The lead allows you to move animals around where you want them to go. You can grab mobs that aren't tamable, so if you want to take a polar bear for a walk, then you can do that with a lead. Not only that, you can also tie the animal to a fence post to keep them in position so they don't wander off!

For a more detailed look at creating this tool, check out our how to make a lead guide!

Shears

The shears are quite useful for collecting wool, but they can also allow you to obtain certain objects that would normally be destroyed when you break them! If you want to place spiderwebs all over your home or base to make it look haunted, then you can do that with shears because they can pick them up without turning them into string!

For a more detailed look at creating this tool, check out our how to make shears guide!