Want to know the low-down on how to repair your tools in Minecraft? Our Minecraft How Does Mending Work? guide covers the basics of what is arguably one of the game’s most valuable enchantments.
First, here’s a basic primer on the Mending enchantment. Normally, players will collect XP and will gain levels; these levels can subsequently be used to enchant items like tools, armor, and books. The Mending enchantment changes that mechanic, redirecting the XP you earn towards repairing your tools and armor. Applied appropriately, you could theoretically have tools and armor that never break!
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Unfortunately, you can’t generate a Mending-enchanted book with the Enchanting Table. Instead, you’re only able to get it in one of three ways:
- Buying it from a Librarian villager
- Finding it while fishing
- Getting it in a treasure chest
Finding a Librarian who sells Mending is the most reliable way to ensure that you get multiple copies of the Mending book, so that’s what you’re going to want to aim for!
Minecraft | How Does Mending Work? | The Mechanics
This bit of our guide to how mending works in Minecraft will focus on the actual mechanics of the enchantment. According to the Minecraft wiki, Mending will repair 2 durability for every point of XP you gain. To put this into context, Coal Ore will give you 0–2 XP, meaning that it will repair your tool for 0–4 points. Statistically speaking, mining a bunch of Coal Ore with a Mending-enchanted Pickaxe will mean that your tool has more durability after you’ve finished mining the vein.
Some tools work really well with Mending. Fishing, for example, costs 1 durability but you can give you 1–6 experience points, meaning that it will repair your Fishing Rod for 2–12 durability. Simply put, a Fishing Rod equipped with Mending will never break and rarely (if ever) need to be repaired or maintained.
One important note: Mending is mutually exclusive with Infinity. You can either have infinite arrows or a Bow that can be repaired; you won’t be able to use both without using cheats.
As cool as Mending may be, you are not always going to be able to gain XP by using the tools or armor. Shovels, for instance, rarely are used in a way that will get you XP. That is why you must gain it in other ways such as by killing mobs, trading, or using furnaces and making sure the tool you want to repair is held in your hand.
A final note on repairs: If you have multiple tools or armor equipped, Mending will repair a random valid item. If all of your Mending-enchanted equipment is at full health, you’ll gain the XP as normal.
