The Minecraft anvil recipe isn’t just about crafting a block; it’s about unlocking powerful upgrades. But how do you craft one? How long do anvils last? And most importantly, are they worth the effort? In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know, from the Minecraft recipe to the best ways to use an anvil efficiently.

Are anvils useful in Minecraft?

An anvil is a craftable block that players use for various advanced item modifications. It allows you to:

• Repair tools, weapons, and armor while keeping enchantments intact.
• Rename items for organization or fun.
• Apply enchantments using enchanted books.
• Combine enchanted items to create stronger gear.
• Deal damage by dropping it on mobs or players.

Anvils function similarly to grindstones in terms of item repair, but they have significant advantages for repairing, renaming, enchanting, and dealing with damage.

Anvil durability

Anvils have limited durability and wear down over time. They can go through three stages:

• Anvil (new)
• Slightly Damaged Anvil
• Very Damaged Anvil

• Anvil Breaks (disappears)

Each time an anvil is used for repairing, renaming, or enchanting, it has a 12% chance of taking damage. On average, an anvil lasts around 25 uses before breaking.

Additionally, fall damage weakens an anvil, so if you drop it from great heights, it will break faster.

Minecraft anvil recipe: How to make an anvil in Minecraft?

Crafting an anvil requires a lot of iron, but it’s a worthwhile investment. Here’s the Mİnecraft Anvil recipe:

• 31 Iron Ingots
• 3 Iron Blocks (crafted from 27 iron ingots)
• A Crafting Table

If you're playing in Creative Mode, you don’t need to craft an anvil. You can find it in the Decoration Blocks section of the creative inventory.

How much iron is needed for the Minecraft anvil recipe

An anvil in Minecraft requires 31 iron ingots to craft. This includes 3 iron blocks (each made from 9 ingots, totaling 27) and 4 additional ingots. 

How to craft an anvil in Minecraft?

1. Open a crafting table.
2. Use 9 iron ingots to craft each iron block (you need 3 blocks total).
3. Place 3 iron blocks in the top row of the 3×3 crafting grid.
4. Place 1 iron ingot in the center slot.
5. Fill the bottom row with 3 iron ingots.

Since iron is a valuable resource, gathering enough can take time, but it's worth the effort. Here is why:

Are anvils useful in Minecraft? Here is how to use an anvil in Minecraft

1. Repairing tools, weapons, and armor

Anvils are great for fixing damaged tools, weapons, and armor, making them last longer. There are two ways to repair items:

• Combine two damaged items of the same type – Their durability adds up, and the stronger item keeps any enchantments.
• Use raw materials – Adding the item’s base material (like iron ingots for iron tools) restores durability.

Unlike a grindstone, an anvil keeps enchantments when repairing, making it the best choice for maintaining enchanted gear. However, using an anvil too many times increases the experience cost, so repairing early is better.

2. Renaming items

You can rename any item using an anvil. Just place the item in the anvil’s slot and type a new name in the text box. Give your sword a cool name like “Dragon Slayer” or “Excalibur.

Renaming an item costs 1 experience level, but it’s a great way to personalize your inventory. 

3. Enchanting and combining items

Anvils can be used to add enchantments to items using enchanted books. This lets you create powerful gear with enchantments that may not be available at an enchantment table.

How to enchant with an anvil:

1. Place the tool, weapon, or armor in the first slot.
2. Put an enchanted book in the second slot.
3. Pay the experience level cost to apply the enchantment.

You can also combine two enchanted items to create stronger gear. 

Each time you use an anvil for enchantments, the XP cost increases, so it gets more expensive over time.

4. Using an anvil as a weapon

Anvils fall due to gravity, which means they can be used as traps or weapons.

• If an anvil drops on a mob or player, it deals damage based on how far it fell. A falling anvil can kill mobs or weaken strong enemies

This trick is useful for mob farms or setting up traps in PvP battles.

Is grindstone or anvil better in Minecraft?

Both the grindstone and the anvil help with tools and weapons, but they work in different ways.

Use a grindstone if you:

• Want to remove enchantments
• Want to repair items without spending experience points

Use an anvil if you:

• Want to combine enchanted items
• Want to add enchantments from books
• Want to rename items
• Don’t mind using experience points