Guides / Enchanting Strategy
How to Use an Anvil in Minecraft: Repair, Rename & Combine
Published September 21, 2026
An anvil does three separate jobs in Minecraft: it repairs a damaged tool or armor piece, it renames an item, and it combines enchantments from two items (or an item and a book) onto one result. All three happen through the same interface — put something in the left slot, optionally something in the right slot, type a name if you want one, and pay the XP-level cost shown to take the result.
Getting an anvil
Craft one from 3 blocks of iron plus 4 iron ingots at a crafting table, or find one already placed in a village blacksmith, some pillager outposts, and a few other generated structures. Anvils are affected by gravity like sand or gravel — they'll fall and deal damage if unsupported, so place yours on solid ground.
Repairing an item
Put a damaged tool, weapon, or armor piece in the left slot and either a matching item of the same type or the correct repair material (iron for iron tools, diamond for diamond gear, and so on) in the right slot. Using a second copy of the same item restores more durability per level spent than raw material does, and carries over the higher of the two items' enchantments in the process.
Renaming an item
Type a name in the text field with just the item in the left slot (nothing in the right slot) — this costs a flat 1 XP level, regardless of the item's prior-work count. Clearing an existing name back to blank works the same way.
Combining enchantments
Put the base item in the left slot and an enchanted book, or a second enchanted copy of the same item, in the right slot. Any enchantments that don't conflict transfer onto the result, and the anvil shows the level cost before you commit. This is the step where cost can escalate fast — see Enchanting Strategy for why order matters, and Why Does My Anvil Say Too Expensive? if a combine gets refused outright.
A repaired or heavily-used anvil eventually breaks
Every anvil use has a chance to damage the anvil block itself, separately from whatever item is inside it — see Do Anvils Break in Minecraft? for exactly how that works and what it costs to fix.
Frequently asked questions
How many times can you use an anvil in Minecraft?
There's no limit on the anvil block itself beyond its own durability (see Do Anvils Break, above). What does get more expensive with repeated use is a specific item or book's prior-work count, which raises the level cost of its next combine each time — not a hard use limit, but a steadily rising price.
What is an anvil used for in Minecraft?
Repairing durability, renaming items, and combining enchantments from two items or an item and a book — all through the same interface, priced in XP levels.
Does it matter which item goes in the left slot vs. the right slot?
Yes. The left slot is the base item you keep; the right slot is the sacrifice being merged into it or used to repair it. The result replaces the left-slot item, so make sure your more-valuable or more-enchanted item is on the left.