Repairing Bows in ‘Minecraft’: A Comprehensive Guide to Every Method

Use a crafting table, anvil, or grindstone to get your bow firing again

By
Chris Compendio
Chris Compendio 2020 Headshot
Chris Compendio
Writer
  • Carnegie Mellon University
Chris Compendio has been writing about tech since 2016. While Chris specializes in gaming, their bylines include Paste Magazine, MSN, and more.
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Published on November 20, 2024
A screen from Minecraft with a drop-shadowed bow on top of it

What to Know

  • Fix your damaged bows by crafting them with other bows.
  • Repairing bows on an anvil will retain any enchantments they have.
  • Repairing bows on a grindstone will add durability to them.

Like almost every tool in Minecraft, bows will degrade as you use them. This article details the three ways to repair your bow and how they differ.

These instructions apply to Minecraft on all platforms, including Java Edition on PC and Bedrock Edition on PC and consoles.

How to Fix a Bow in Minecraft with the Crafting Table

The simplest way to repair a bow is to use a crafting table. By combining bows into a new one, you will end up with a bow with the combined durability of the old ones.

Repairing a bow through the crafting grid will remove any enchantments your bows have.

  1. Open the crafting table grid.

  2. Place the bow you want to repair in the grid.

  3. Place a second bow in another square on the grid.

    Minecraft bow repair

  4. The bows will combine into a new one; place the new bow into your inventory.

How to Fix a Bow in ‘Minecraft’ with an Anvil

To keep the enchantments that your bow has, or combine bows with different enchantments, you will want to use an anvil instead.


Craft an anvil with three iron blocks and two iron ingots.

  1. Open the anvil crafting menu.

  2. Place the bow you want to repair in the first square.

  3. Place a second bow in the second square.

    Minecraft anvil repair

  4. The bows will combine into a new bow; place the new bow into your inventory.

Repairing a bow with an anvil will cost Enchantment levels.

How to Fix a Bow in ‘Minecraft’ with a Grindstone

By repairing a bow with a grindstone, you will lose any enchantments it has. However, you'll add 5% durability.

Craft a grindstone with two sticks, two wooden planks, and a stone slab.

  1. Open the grindstone crafting menu.

  2. Place two bows in the two squares.

    Minecraft grindstone bow repair

  3. The bows will combine into a new bow; place it into your inventory.

What's the Best Way to Repair a Bow in ‘Minecraft’?

The three methods we've just described to repair a bow in Minecraft all have advantages and disadvantages. Use the following table to decide which is best for your needs.

 Means Enchantments   Durability
Crafting Table Lost  +0%
Anvil  Preserved   +0%
Grindstone  Lost   +5%

In short, choose an anvil for your enchanted bows and use a grindstone to make your unenchanted bows stronger.

The Crafting Table method has a clear advantage in that you don't have to make something else to do it—you'll get your Crafting Table very early in the game—but once you've made an anvil or a grindstone, you won't have much reason to go back to the Crafting Table.

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