How to Remove Enchantments in Minecraft with a Grindstone

To remove enchantments in vanilla Minecraft, place the enchanted item in either input slot of a grindstone, then take the result. This removes every normal enchantment at once and returns some experience. It does not remove Curse of Binding or Curse of Vanishing, and it cannot preserve only one enchantment while deleting another.

The method works in both Java Edition and Bedrock Edition for tools, weapons, armor, fishing rods, bows, crossbows, tridents, and enchanted books.

How to disenchant an item

1. Place and open a grindstone.
2. Put the enchanted item in either of the two input slots. Leave the other input empty.
3. Check the output. Normal enchantments should be gone; any curse remains.
4. Take the output item to complete the process and collect the experience released by the removed enchantments.

The item's material and durability remain the same when only one item is used. The amount of experience is tied to the enchantments removed, not whether the item is made from iron, diamond, or netherite.

What a grindstone removes

Item property	Result after grinding
Normal enchantments	All are removed
Curse of Binding	Remains on the item
Curse of Vanishing	Remains on the item
Custom name	Removed in current vanilla behavior
Durability with one input	Unchanged
Enchantments on an enchanted book	Removed; the output is a regular book unless a curse remains

How to craft a grindstone

A grindstone requires:

1. 2 sticks;
2. 1 stone slab; and
3. 2 wooden planks of any matching or mixed wood type accepted by the recipe.

At a crafting table, place the stone slab in the top-center slot, one stick on each side of it, and one wooden plank below each stick. The center slot of the second row remains empty.

Stick	Stone slab	Stick
Plank	Empty	Plank
Empty	Empty	Empty

Grindstones also generate as a weaponsmith's job-site block in some village structures. Mine one with a pickaxe to collect it.

How to make the correct stone slab

The recipe needs a stone slab, not a cobblestone slab. To make one:

1. Mine cobblestone.
2. Smelt the cobblestone in a furnace to create stone.
3. Place three stone blocks in one horizontal row of a crafting table to make stone slabs, or process stone with a stonecutter.

Putting three cobblestone blocks in a crafting row creates cobblestone slabs, which are a different block and do not satisfy the standard grindstone recipe.

Removing enchantments while repairing items

A grindstone can also combine two damaged items of the same type. Put one in each input slot, then take the repaired output. Their remaining durability is combined with a small repair bonus, while normal enchantments are removed and curses remain.

Use an anvil instead if you want to repair or combine compatible items while preserving their enchantments. An anvil costs experience levels and may eventually show 'Too Expensive' for heavily worked items, but it is the appropriate vanilla tool for keeping enchantments.

Can you remove only one enchantment?

No. A grindstone removes all removable enchantments from the item in one operation. For example, grinding a sword with Unbreaking II and Knockback III removes both. Vanilla Survival has no interface for selecting one enchantment to delete or transferring a chosen enchantment from an item into a book.

If you need a different combination, the normal options are:

1. disenchant the item and enchant it again;
2. make or obtain a replacement item;
3. combine compatible items or enchanted books on an anvil without grinding them first; or
4. use game commands, a data pack, plugin, or mod in a world where those changes are permitted.

Can a grindstone remove curses?

No. Curse of Binding and Curse of Vanishing are intentionally excluded from grindstone removal.

1. Curse of Binding: in Survival, cursed wearable armor cannot normally be taken off after it is equipped. It must break, or the player must use a death-related exception allowed by the world's rules.
2. Curse of Vanishing: the item disappears when its holder dies under the normal rule. Store it safely when death is likely.

Putting a cursed item in a crafting grid is not a general curse-removal method. Be cautious with guides that claim a crafting table removes either curse; they may refer to an old exploit, a special item case, commands, or a modded server.

Why did the enchantments not disappear?

1. The enchantment is a curse. Curses remain after grinding.
2. You used an anvil. Anvils usually preserve or combine enchantments rather than remove them.
3. The item comes from a mod or server plugin. Custom enchantments may not follow vanilla rules.
4. The output was not collected. Removing the preview item completes the operation.
5. A second input changed the result. Clear the interface and test the enchanted item by itself.

Mods, plugins, and commands

Modded Minecraft can add machines that extract, store, or selectively remove enchantments. Examples and recipes vary by modpack and game version, so consult the documentation bundled with the exact modpack rather than an older general guide. A server plugin may also override grindstone behavior.

Creative mode and commands can alter item data, but command syntax differs between Java and Bedrock and changes across versions. Back up the world before experimenting, and do not assume a Java command works in Bedrock.

Quick answers

Does disenchanting cost XP?

No. Using a grindstone to remove normal enchantments gives back some experience instead of charging levels.

Can a grindstone keep one enchantment?

No. It removes all normal enchantments together.

Does a grindstone remove Mending?

Yes. Mending is a normal enchantment, so it is removed along with other non-curse enchantments.

Does it work on enchanted books?

Yes. A grindstone removes the book's normal enchantments and returns a regular book, unless a curse must remain.

What is the difference between a grindstone and an anvil?

A grindstone repairs without an XP cost and strips normal enchantments. An anvil costs levels but can preserve and combine compatible enchantments.