5 things players didn't know about pickaxes in Minecraft

The pickaxe was one of the first things added to Minecraft, all the way back in 2009, almost 12 years ago.

Not much has changed fundamentally regarding the tool's mechanics since its inception, despite its lengthy lifespan. The significant tweaks regarding pickaxes targeted their efficiency and occurred pretty early within the game's development, during its alpha phase.

Being such a critical item in the game, naturally, there are some interesting quirks to be mentioned regarding the pickaxe in Minecraft. This list will explore some of the most interesting of these.

Little-known facts about the pickaxe in Minecraft

#5 - Gold pickaxes aren't renewable

Gold pickaxes are the only pickaxes in the game that cannot sustainably renew themselves, meaning players cannot rely on them. This is due to the fact that gold pickaxes cannot break gold ore.

This is yet another reason why players should steer clear of using gold pickaxes or any gold tool in general in the game.

#4 - Diamond pickaxes have a total of 1025 uses

Diamond pickaxes can break a total of 1025 blocks

The diamond pickaxe allows players to break a total of 1025 blocks in its standard, unenchanted form. It does not matter specifically what blocks these are.

Players can, of course, upgrade this number by applying various different enchantments, specifically both fortune and unbreaking enchantments.

#3 - A rare visual dupe glitch with pickaxes exists

A visual glitch can occur when a pickaxe breaks

Sometimes, when a pickaxe breaks for a player, it will make the sound of breaking, but not really break. This leaves players with a pickaxe in a strange state that should not exist.

Fixing this glitch is easy. However, all players need to do is re-log into their game, and the pickaxe will automatically disappear from their inventory.

#2 - Using pickaxes as a weapon uses their durability twice as fast

A pickaxe should only be used as a weapon as a last resort

Pickaxes (especially diamond) are well known to be a good make-shift weapon when really needed. They are the third most lethal tool in the game, behind the sword and axe.

Players should also be aware that using a pickaxe as a sword is terribly inefficient and will actually cause the pickaxe to lose durability points twice as fast.

Every hit on a mob essentially counts for two extra blocks broken with the item. While this doesn't sound like much, it can add up fast.

#1 - A homage to the Minecraft pickaxe can be found in Skyrim

The developers of Skyrim, Bethesda, added a homage to the humble Minecraft pickaxe hidden within the game, tucked away on top of an obscure mountain top. It's specifically referred to as the "Notched Pickaxe," which is a play on words, referring to Minecraft's creator called Notch.

Although the visual appearance of this item is the same as any regular pickaxe, it possesses a one-of-a-kind enchantment that raises the wielder's smithing ability.