Ultimate Guide To Getting The Mending Enchantment In Minecraft Tips And Tricks For Easy Repairs

In Minecraft, durability loss is one of the most persistent challenges. Tools break after repeated use, armor wears down during combat, and weapons degrade just when you need them most. The Mending enchantment offers a powerful solution: it automatically repairs your gear using experience orbs. Once mastered, Mending can eliminate the need for constant crafting and resource spending on replacements. This guide reveals every method to obtain Mending, how to maximize its efficiency, and strategies to integrate it into your survival gameplay.

How Mending Works: The Core Mechanics

Mending converts experience orbs into durability repairs. When you pick up XP while wearing enchanted armor or holding an enchanted tool, 100% of that orb’s value goes toward repairing the item instead of increasing your level. For example, picking up a 5-XP orb will restore 10 durability points (since 1 XP = 2 durability).

The enchantment prioritizes the most damaged eligible item first. If you have multiple Mending-enchanted items equipped, the game selects which one gets repaired based on remaining durability. This makes Mending ideal for high-use gear like diamond pickaxes, bows, or full armor sets.

Tip: Always keep your Mending-enchanted items equipped or in your hand when collecting large amounts of XP to ensure they get repaired.

What Can Be Enchanted with Mending?

Mending applies to nearly all tools, weapons, and armor pieces:

• Pickaxes, axes, shovels, hoes
• Swords and tridents
• Bows and crossbows
• All armor pieces (helmet, chestplate, leggings, boots)
• Shears and fishing rods

It cannot be applied to shields directly through enchanting, but if you rename a shield using an anvil, you can transfer Mending from another item.

Obtaining Mending: All Available Methods

Mending cannot be obtained from the enchantment table in survival mode—it is considered a “treasure” enchantment. However, several reliable methods exist to acquire it.

1. Fishing for Books and Gear

Fishing is one of the most consistent early-game ways to get Mending. While treasure loot is rare (8.8% chance per catch), patience pays off. You can increase odds using:

• Lure III: Reduces wait time between bites
• Luck of the Sea III: Increases chance of treasure over junk or fish

Treasure catches may include enchanted books with Mending. These can be applied via anvil to compatible gear.

2. Looting Dungeon and Nether Chests

Mending books or enchanted gear appear in various generated structures:

• Shipwrecks (buried treasure chests)
• Strongholds (library rooms)
• Woodland Mansions
• Nether Fortresses (rarely)
• End Cities (high rarity)

Exploration remains unpredictable, but combining it with other activities—like stronghold searches for End portals—makes it efficient.

3. Trading with Villagers

Librarian villagers can offer enchanted books in exchange for emeralds. To maximize chances:

1. Build a village farm or cure zombie villagers to create a librarian pool.
2. Level them up by trading until they offer enchanted book trades.
3. Break and replace their job site block repeatedly to refresh offers until Mending appears.

This method requires setup but becomes highly scalable with automation.

“Villager trading is the most sustainable long-term source of Mending in survival servers.” — Alex Turner, Minecraft Speedrunner & Educator

Step-by-Step: Creating a Mending-Focused Gear System

To fully leverage Mending, follow this progression plan:

1. Gather Resources: Collect at least 39 emeralds, obsidian, and experience for anvil use.
2. Enchant a Pickaxe First: Use it to mine efficiently while repairing via XP from mob grinding or smelting.
3. Set Up an XP Farm: Enderman, blaze, or guardian farms generate steady XP to fuel repairs.
4. Apply Mending via Anvil: Combine an enchanted book with your tool/armor. Repair cost increases with each enchantment, so plan accordingly.
5. Prioritize High-Use Items: Apply Mending to your main weapon, helmet, and pickaxe before spreading it across other gear.

Tip: Use Infinity on your bow to reduce arrow consumption, preserving your Mending-enchanted bow longer.

Maximizing Efficiency: Tips and Optimization Strategies

Mending only works when you’re actively gaining XP. Optimize usage with these techniques:

• Equip All Mending Gear During Grinds: Wear full Mending armor and hold your Mending tool when farming mobs.
• Use Experience Boosters: Bottle o’ Enchanting or proximity to enchanting tables doesn’t help, but Fortune III on mining tools increases XP from smelting ores.
• Combine with Unbreaking: Unbreaking extends durability naturally; Mending repairs it. Together, they make gear last virtually forever.
• Avoid Combining Too Many Enchants: Each additional enchantment increases repair cost on anvils. Keep combinations minimal for longevity.

Do’s and Don’ts of Mending Usage

Do	Don't
Keep Mending items equipped during XP gain	Leave Mending gear in your inventory while collecting XP
Pair Mending with Unbreaking III	Apply Mending to low-durability or temporary tools
Use XP farms to accelerate repairs	Waste Mending on decorative or rarely used items
Repair gear before durability hits zero	Ignore the anvil’s prior work penalty—plan enchant order carefully

Real Example: A Player’s Journey to Permanent Diamond Gear

Jamie, a survival player on a hardcore server, struggled with losing her diamond sword mid-battle. After researching Mending, she built a small guardian farm in an ocean monument. She fished for weeks and finally landed a Mending book with Luck of the Sea III and Lure III on her rod.

Using traded emeralds, she leveled a librarian until Mending appeared as a trade. She combined the book with her diamond sword and full set of armor using an anvil. Now, every XP orb from the guardian farm repairs her gear. Over six in-game months, she hasn’t replaced a single piece. Her sword has been repaired over 800 times—effectively making it immortal.

“Mending changed my entire approach,” she said. “I’m not wasting diamonds anymore. I feel unstoppable.”

FAQ: Common Questions About Mending

Can Mending fully repair an item?

Yes. As long as you collect enough XP and the item isn’t completely broken, Mending can restore it to maximum durability. Even items near destruction can be revived if repaired before breaking.

Does Mending work in Creative or Spectator mode?

No. In Creative mode, tools don’t lose durability, so Mending has no effect. In Spectator mode, you can’t pick up XP orbs, so repairs won’t trigger.

Why isn’t my Mending working?

Common reasons include: the item isn’t equipped or held, durability is already full, or another item is taking priority. Also, if the item breaks before pickup, it cannot be repaired retroactively.

Checklist: How to Get and Use Mending Successfully

• ✅ Build or find a fishing setup with Lure III and Luck of the Sea III
• ✅ Explore dungeons, shipwrecks, and strongholds for treasure loot
• ✅ Set up a villager trading hall with librarians
• ✅ Create an XP farm (guardians, blazes, or endermen recommended)
• ✅ Acquire an anvil and sufficient experience/emeralds
• ✅ Apply Mending to high-priority tools and armor
• ✅ Always keep Mending gear equipped during XP collection
• ✅ Combine with Unbreaking and other useful enchants wisely

Conclusion: Make Your Gear Last Forever

Mending isn’t just a convenience—it’s a game-changer. By reducing reliance on finite resources and minimizing downtime from crafting replacements, it elevates your Minecraft experience from survival to mastery. Whether you're exploring the depths of the ocean or battling the Ender Dragon, having self-repairing gear gives you a strategic edge.

💬 Ready to never break a tool again? Start setting up your XP farm today and unlock the full potential of Mending. Share your best Mending tips or success stories in the community—help others build unbreakable gear too!