Can You Disenchant in Minecraft and Keep the Enchantment? What You Need to Know
Explore whether you can disenchant in Minecraft and keep the enchantment. Learn how grindstones work, how to preserve enchantments with books and anvils, step-by-step workflows, tips, and common pitfalls, all explained by Craft Guide.
Disenchanting in Minecraft does not let you keep the enchantment on the original item. A grindstone removes all enchantments, returning an unenchanted item and granting XP. If your goal is to reuse or preserve an enchantment, you must copy it onto an enchanted book or transfer it to a new item using an anvil.
What disenchanting does in Minecraft
According to Craft Guide, disenchanting is a deliberate way to strip an item of its enchantments. In vanilla Minecraft, the primary tool for this is the grindstone. When you apply the grindstone to a tool, weapon, or piece of armor that has one or more enchantments, those enchantments are removed from the item and the item reverts to its base, unenchanted state. You also gain a small amount of experience from the grindstone interaction, which can help you level up and prepare for future enchantments. This mechanic is especially useful when you want to repurpose an item for a different role or re-roll enchantments on the same item later. However, the enchantments themselves are not preserved on the original item after disenchantment.
In addition to practical inventory management, understanding disenchanting basics helps you plan smarter XP and resource usage. Craft Guide analyses show that many players use disenchanting as a way to reclaim usable materials and to reset enchantment levels when experimenting with new builds or combat setups. Keep in mind that once an enchantment is removed, it cannot be reactivated on that same item without reapplying it via an enchanted book or anvil.
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Tools & Materials
- Grindstone(Crafting recipe: 2 wooden planks, 1 stick, 1 stone slab. Place on an anvil to use.)
- Anvil(Requires iron blocks/ingots and a proper hammering cost; XP cost increases with use.)
- Enchanted Book(s)(Obtain via fishing, dungeon chests, loot, or librarian trades to preserve/enchant on other items.)
Steps
Estimated time: 30-60 minutes
- 1
Assess the enchantments on the item
Open the inventory and inspect the item carefully. Note which enchantments are present and their levels. Decide whether you want to remove them, preserve them on a different item, or transfer them to an enchanted book for later use.
Tip: Write down the exact enchantments and levels you plan to preserve. - 2
Decide your preservation strategy
If your goal is to keep the enchantment for future use, prepare an enchanted book with that enchantment or plan an anvil transfer to a new item. Grinding away the enchantments should only be used if you want a clean slate for a fresh setup.
Tip: Enchanted books are your permanent archive; prioritize acquiring those. - 3
Acquire or create an enchanted book
Trade with a librarian or fish for treasure to obtain an enchanted book containing the desired enchantment. Alternatively, use an enchantment table to attempt to generate a book with the same enchantment.
Tip: Higher enchantment levels may require more books or better trades. - 4
Transfer enchantment to a new item (optional)
Place the enchanted book and the target item on an anvil to transfer the enchantment to the new item. Expect an XP cost that grows with each operation and the enchantment level.
Tip: Plan operations to minimize XP costs and avoid wasted resources. - 5
Disenchanting the original item (if needed)
If you only want to reclaim the enchantment book and not the enchantment on the item, use a grindstone to remove all enchantments from the original item. The item returns to its base form and you gain XP.
Tip: Grinding is destructive to the original enchantment; use it only when necessary. - 6
Review final setup
Check the final item to confirm the enchantments are properly applied. If you used an enchanted book, ensure the book’s enchantment is now on the target item and that you have the book as a stored resource for future use.
Tip: Keep a spare enchanted book on hand for flexibility.
People Also Ask
Can you disenchant an item and keep its enchantment?
No. Grinding with a grindstone removes all enchantments from the item. To reuse enchantments, transfer them to an enchanted book or a new item using an anvil.
No—enchantments aren’t kept when you disenchant; use books and anvils to preserve them.
Is there any method to copy enchantments during disenchantment?
Copying a specific enchantment from an item to a book isn’t possible directly. You need an enchanted book with the enchantment and anvil to apply it to another item.
You can’t copy directly from a tool to a book; use a book with the enchantment and anvil.
How do I transfer enchantments to a new tool?
Obtain an enchanted book containing the enchantment and use an anvil to transfer the enchantment to the new tool.
Get the enchanted book and use anvil transfer to move the enchantment.
What is the XP cost when using anvil?
Anvil costs increase with each operation. Ensure you have enough experience levels before starting to avoid wasted resources.
Anvils get costly quickly; plan your sequence with plenty of XP.
Are there differences between Java and Bedrock editions regarding disenchanting?
The core mechanic—disenchanting with grindstones and transferring with anvils—exists in both editions, though interface and XP costs differ slightly.
The idea is the same, but interfaces and costs may vary by edition.
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The Essentials
- Disenchanting removes enchantments; you cannot keep them on the same item.
- Use enchanted books and anvils to move or preserve enchantments across items.
- Plan your enchantment workflow to minimize XP costs and material waste.
