Can you put Sharpness on an axe?

How to add it

The surest way is to combine an enchanted book with the axe on an anvil: Sharpness V costs 5 levels on a fresh axe.

Plan it in the calculator

What it does on an axe

An axe hits harder than a sword, but it swings slower. A netherite axe deals 10 damage, so Sharpness V brings each hit to 13. A hit from an axe also disables a raised shield for a few seconds. Sharpness excludes Smite and Bane of Arthropods, but it works with Efficiency, Fortune or Silk Touch, Unbreaking and Mending.

Step by step

1. First, get Sharpness V as an enchanted book. Sources: a librarian villager (17–64 emeralds for a top-level book), an enchanting table (on a plain book), fishing, chest loot or gear worn by trial chamber mobs, trial chamber vaults.
2. Then put the axe in the left slot of an anvil and the book in the right slot.
3. Finally, pay the cost shown: 5 levels on a fresh axe, plus any prior work penalty the axe already has.
4. If the axe is getting more books, plan the order first so no step costs 40 levels or more.

Why it works

Sharpness lists axe among its supported items. That matters because each enchantment's data file lists the items it supports, and the anvil checks that list. The enchanting table never offers Sharpness on an axe, so it has to come from a book.

On an axe it rules out Smite or Bane of Arthropods, so choose before you buy books.

What it costs on the anvil

First, the base price: on a fresh axe, Sharpness V costs 5 levels. Java charges the full new level of each book, so upgrading later costs the whole level again. Each anvil use also raises the item's prior work penalty for the next step.

Order matters. Say your axe already has Fortune III, Efficiency V, Unbreaking III and Mending, put on in the cheapest order. That took 3 anvil uses, so adding Sharpness last costs 12 levels: 7 for the prior work penalty plus 5 for the book. Planning everything from the start costs 32 levels in total, with no step above 11.

Plan your own version in the calculator or follow the axe enchant order. The prior work penalty calculator shows how the penalty grows.

Where Sharpness goes

• Sharpness goes on sword, axe and spear. The enchanting table offers it on the sword and spear, while the axe needs a book. Related questions: Sharpness on mace, Sharpness on trident, Sharpness on spear.

Commands and creative mode

In creative or with cheats, one command does it: /give @p netherite_axe[enchantments={sharpness:5}]. Holding the item, /enchant @s sharpness 5 works too. Creative mode also ignores the anvil's 40-level limit. The command generator writes the right syntax for your edition.

Java and Bedrock

Sharpness is weaker in Java: +3 at level V, against +6.25 in Bedrock. The anvil also differs: Java charges the full new level of every book. This page follows Java 26.3.

About Sharpness

Sharpness adds melee damage against every mob and player. Level I adds 1 damage and each level after that adds 0.5, for +3 damage at Sharpness V.

Sharpness has a max level of V. If you need a book, you can get it from the enchanting table, librarian villagers, gear worn by trial chamber mobs, trial chamber vaults and enchanted loot from fishing and chests. A librarian sells a Sharpness V book for 17 to 64 emeralds. Before you buy, read everything about Sharpness, including what each level does.

What else an axe can take

Besides Sharpness, an axe can take Smite, Bane of Arthropods, Fortune, Silk Touch, Efficiency, Unbreaking and Mending. Of those, Smite and Bane of Arthropods conflict with Sharpness. Then the best axe enchantments page ranks them and gives the max build.

Related questions: Looting on axe, Smite on axe, Fire Aspect on axe, Efficiency on axe, Knockback on axe.

Related

• Best axe enchantments
• Sharpness
• Sharpness on mace
• Sharpness on trident
• Sharpness on spear
• Looting on axe
• Smite on axe
• Fire Aspect on axe
• Efficiency on axe
• Knockback on axe