Minecraft is arguably the world’s most popular game. Part of its incredible appeal is the sheer level of control and creativity it provides players over their experience. And that applies to everything from its blocks and building materials to crafting and weapons. One of the most popular weapons in Minecraft is the bow. It’s used by players both new and old. In this guide, we will explain how to repair a bow in Minecraft.
As a long range weapon, bows are incredibly useful to have. They should be a staple of your Minecraft inventory. But, unfortunately, their durability doesn’t last forever. That means you will be forced to repair them unless you don’t mind finding a new one.
Players using bows should keep a close eye on their durability to ensure they aren’t left in the lurch when it matters most. It sounds obvious, but it’s often the simplest tips that can make the biggest difference.
So, if you want to repair a bow, use the following steps detailed in this article.
The best ways to repair a bow in Minecraft
Crafting slots and crafting table method
This first and most common method of repairing bows is nice and simple. But it actually requires two bows. If you only have one bow, you will need to go out into the world and craft or find a second bow.
Once you have two bows, you’re all set. Open the inventory / crafting menu and place the bows into the crafting slots in the crafting section. A new bow will be produced. The resulting bow will have the combined durability of the bows you used to craft it.
It should be noted that this method will not work if you want to retain any enchantments a bow might have. The new bow will be just that – an entirely new bow with no enchantments.
The same process also works using the crafting table in Minecraft. Simply combine two bows at the workbench in its three-by-three grid, and a new repaired bow will be produced with their combined durability.
Grindstone method
The second method is to use a Grindstone. While this option for repairing bows in Minecraft has certain benefits over using crafting slots in your inventory or at a workbench, it still isn’t much use for fixing up an enchanted bow.
A Grindstone can be crafted by using two sticks, a stone slab, and any two types of wooden planks. It features two crafting slots. If you place an enchanted item (such as an enchanted bow) in the first slot, it will output a new, non-enchanted version of the same item.
The Grindstone is particularly useful for not only repairing a weapon’s durability, but also for boosting it. If you place an enchanted item in the first slot and the same item (but non-enchanted) in the second slot of a Grindstone, you will receive a new version of the item (with the enchantment removed) in the output slot. It will have the combined durability of the items used to create it plus 5%.
That means you will have a brand new item that is both repaired and more durable than the items you started with thanks to using the Grindstone slots to repair.
Anvil method
Before you use an Anvil to repair a bow in Minecraft, you need to acquire one. Check out the below steps explaining how to craft an Anvil.
How to craft an Anvil in Minecraft
To craft an Anvil in Minecraft, you need the following crafting ‘ingredients’ – three iron blocks and four iron ingots. You can acquire nine iron ingots by placing a single iron block on the crafting table.
How to repair Minecraft bow using an Anvil
Once you have the Anvil, it’s time to use it to fix your bow. As noted, the other two methods included in this article will remove any enchantments from your bow when you attempt to repair it.
However, that is not the case with the Anvil. In fact, the Anvil can be viewed as an alternative to the enchanting table. That’s because enchanted books can be combined using the Anvil. But, best of all, you can repair your bow without it losing its enchantments.
Of course, this is especially useful if you have a bow with an enchantment you are keen to keep, such as the infinity enchantment. The infinity bow is particularly useful because it grants the player infinite arrows providing you have at least one arrow in your inventory. Naturally, this means the infinity enchantment creates some of the best bows available in the game (more on that in a moment).
So, to repair using the Anvil, place your enchanted bow and a standard bow into the two slots available. The output item will be a repaired version of your enchanted bow. It should be noted that you can also use an Anvil to rename a weapon if you wish.
Best bow enchantments in Minecraft
There are seven different bow enchantments players can use and benefit from in Minecraft. They are all useful but some are more beneficial than others. Here’s our list ranking the best bow enchantments:
- Power
- Punch
- Unbreaking
- Mending
- Flame
- Infinity
- Curse of the Vanishing
Now you know the quickest and easiest ways to repair your bows in Minecraft, it’s time to put them to work.
Do have any other top tips for repairing bows in Minecraft? Let us know in the comment section below and don’t forget to check out our other gaming articles…
