How to make netherite pickaxe in Minecraft (2023)

The netherite pickaxe in Minecraft is arguably the most prized possession of any player. Since the game generally involves plenty of mining, a pickaxe is the most important tool to own. Furthermore, netherite is the most durable and powerful material for crafting tools, weapons, and armor. Usually, players aim to craft a netherite pickaxe at the earliest.

Unfortunately, locating netherite and converting it to ingots is a difficult job. Moreover, the process of crafting netherite gear will become even more difficult once Mojang releases the 1.20 update. This is primarily because the developers are bringing significant changes to the smithing table and the netherite upgrade system.

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Two ways to craft a netherite pickaxe in Minecraft in 2023

Essentially, there will be two ways to craft the most powerful pickaxe in the game in 2023, particularly depending on when you read this article. As of now, the 1.20 update hasn't been released yet. Currently, you can follow the first method to craft a netherite pickaxe. However, if you read this after the 1.20 update comes out, you'll have to follow the second method that's mentioned here.

Steps to crafting a netherite pickaxe up until the 1.19 version

1) Find Ancient Debris in the Nether

Ancient Debris blocks are extremely rare in Minecraft (Image via Mojang)

First, you must head to the Nether realm and look for ancient debris blocks. Netherite doesn't naturally occur and must be extracted from ancient debris blocks. These are some of the rarest blocks in the game and can only be found at Y level 15, where the Nether has loads of lava lakes.

You must be careful while mining for ancient debris, as lava could suddenly fill up the mine and burn you. It's best to use explosives to carefully expose large areas and find these blocks.

2) From Ancient Debris to netherite ingot

Smelt ancient debris to obtain netherite scraps and craft them with gold ingots in Minecraft (Image via Sportskeeda)

After obtaining the ancient debris blocks, you must smelt them in a furnace to extract netherite scraps. Four of these scraps must be crafted with four gold ingots on a crafting table to obtain a netherite ingot. It should be noted that four netherite scraps and four gold ingots will only craft one netherite ingot.

3) Crafting netherite pickaxe

Smithing table and netherite upgrade method before Minecraft 1.20 update (Image via Mojang)

Finally, you must have a smithing table with which you can upgrade your diamond gear to netherite. Simply place a diamond pickaxe and a netherite ingot to craft the netherite pickaxe. Remember, you cannot craft a netherite ingot with a regular pickaxe crafting recipe.

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How to craft netherite pickaxe after the release of the 1.20 update

The netherite upgrade smithing template will be a new item required to upgrade to netherite gear in Minecraft 1.20 update (Image via Mojang)

After the Minecraft 1.20 update is officially released, you'll have to take a few extra steps to obtain the netherite pickaxe. You must obtain ancient debris blocks and convert them into netherite ingots, but you'll also need to find a new item called a netherite upgrade smithing template.

The new smithing table GUI that will be released with Minecraft 1.20 update (Image via Mojang)

This new item is essential for upgrading any gear to netherite. They will generally be found in bastion remnants in the form of chest loot. Once you obtain the new netherite upgrade smithing template, you must add it to the new GUI of the smithing table, alongside a diamond pickaxe and netherite ingots, to obtain the upgraded tool.