Silk Touch in Minecraft is one of many different kinds of enchantments. It’s very useful for both gathering and building, depending on what your goals are. It’s a level one enchant, so it’s not too hard to get, but it has a ton of utility. There are, of course, many other enchantments you can make use of, with a range of different options. But for this guide, let’s focus on one thing at a time.
It’s worth noting that not all enchantments can be applied to the same gear. Fortune and Silk Touch cannot be applied to the same item, for example. If commands are used to apply both Silk Touch and Fortune to an item, the Silk Touch enchantment takes precedence over the Fortune enchantment for blocks affected by both enchantments.
What is Silk Touch in Minecraft?
Silk Touch is an enchantment that allows certain blocks to drop themselves instead of their usual items when mined. This is helpful for when you need to gather an item in its unbroken state. It’s more direct and efficient to Silk Touch stone, rather than cooking cobblestone, for example. This may be a preferable option early on, before you have a ready source of lava for fuel.
You might also want to use Silk Touch to harvest Beehives, Amethyst and ice blocks. If you plan to move bookshelves, you need Silk Touch to be able to grab them without them breaking into books.
How to get Silk Touch in Minecraft
Since it’s a Level 1 Enchant, you only need a basic enchanting table and a ring of bookshelves to get it. You can apply it to any type of tool, even wooden ones. But if you want a long-term solution, Diamond tools are also an option. The best way to farm for the Silk Touch option is to make a bunch of wooden tools, and place those, along with Lapus Lazuli, into an enchanting table. When SIlk Touch I comes up, swap in your Diamond tool and apply the enchant.
If you don’t get the Silk Touch option, just enchant the wooden tool with any cheap enchant and then try again with the next tool. Remember, you can only swap items of the same type. For example, you can swap a wooden pickaxe with any higher-tier tool of the same class.
If you want to remove the enchantment from another pickaxe, use the Grindstone to disenchant the previous item. You can then apply Silk Touch or another option to it.
Librarians are good too
Another option is to use the Lectern and turn a villager into a Librarian to trade for enchantment books. Fence in a villager with a Lectern and wait. When they change their job to librarian, you’re ready to go. You need some Emeralds, so go get those while you wait. Once you have the gems, trade the Librarian for the Silk Touch book, provided they have it in their inventory.
Now, just take the enchantment book and place it inside any anvil along with the item you wish to enchant. There, you now have Silk Touch in Minecraft.
