Starsand Island has a tool for just about every activity you'll encounter — mining, chopping, farming, fishing, ranching, and combat all require their own dedicated equipment. Unlocking better tools is tied directly to your profession levels and workbench upgrades, so knowing where each blueprint comes from and what materials you need will save you a lot of aimless wandering.
Quick answer: Basic wooden tools are crafted immediately after the tutorial. Higher-tier tools require upgrading your workbench by completing Crafter Certifications with Zerine, then purchasing blueprints from the General Store or profession-specific shops.
How Tool Unlocking Works in Starsand Island
After arriving on the island and speaking with Solara, you're directed to meet Zerine, the Crafting Mentor at the General Store. She teaches you how to use your workbench and introduces the blueprint system. A handful of Apprentice-level tools — the Axe, Stone Pickaxe, Stone Hoe, Wooden Watering Can, Bug Net, Wooden Rod, and Slingshot — can be crafted right away with basic materials like Stone, Softwood, and Fiber.
To access stronger tools, you need to upgrade your workbench. This requires completing Crafter Certifications with Zerine. Each certification level (Apprentice, Junior, Intermediate, Senior, Expert) unlocks a new tier of upgrade blueprints at the General Store. The higher your Crafter rank, the more powerful the equipment you can build.
Tool blueprints aren't all sold in one place. They're spread across profession-specific shops tied to each mentor's workplace:
- Fishing tools are unlocked at the AquaBlue Outpost (Delphin's location).
- Farming tools are unlocked at the Happiness Seed Shop (Graminova's location).
- Exploration tools are unlocked at the Exploration Club (Zephyria's location).
- Animal welfare tools are unlocked at the Green Pasture Ranch (Pastelle's location).
The Slingshot is a special case. Its blueprint comes from Zephyria at the Exploration Club rather than the General Store, and you'll want it early — it's needed to break the rock barrier that blocks access to the Moonlit Forest, which is your primary source of ores like Copper and Fluorite.
Apprentice-Level Tools
These are the first tools you can craft. They require only basic materials that are abundant around your cabin and the surrounding area.
| Tool | Ingredients |
|---|---|
| Axe | 2 Stone, 2 Softwood |
| Stone Pickaxe | 2 Stone, 2 Softwood |
| Stone Hoe | 3 Stone, 3 Softwood |
| Wooden Watering Can | 5 Softwood |
| Bug Net | 2 Softwood, 2 Fiber |
| Wooden Rod | 6 Softwood, 4 Fiber |
| Slingshot | 2 Softwood, 2 Fiber |
| Chrono Rod | 10 Fiber, 3 Copper Ingot, 1 Wooden Rod |
The Chrono Rod is technically Apprentice-tier but requires Copper Ingots, which means you'll need access to the Moonlit Forest and a Furnace before you can make it. Prioritize the Slingshot to open that area up.
Junior-Level Tools
Reaching Junior Crafter status opens up a significant jump in tool quality. Many of these tools are direct upgrades that consume a previous-tier tool as one of their ingredients, so don't sell your old equipment.
| Tool | Ingredients |
|---|---|
| Silent Rod | 3 Copper Ingot, 2 Carbon Line, 3 Charcoal |
| Cloud Rod | 3 Softwood Plank, 10 Fiber, 3 Copper Ingot |
| Wide Hoe | 8 Copper, 8 Softwood, 1 Stone Hoe |
| Bronze Watering Can | 20 Copper, 1 Wooden Watering Can |
| Brush | 2 Softwood, 2 Wool |
| Golden Slingshot | 1 Slingshot, 3 Gold Ore |
| Impact Axe | 10 Copper, 10 Fluorite, 5 Softwood |
| Impact Pickaxe | 10 Copper, 10 Fluorite, 5 Softwood |
| Plume Bow | 5 Hardwood, 6 Carbon Line |
| Golden Bow | 1 Plume Bow, 2 Gold Ingot |
| Impact Hammer | 4 Hardwood Plank, 4 Iron Sheet, 2 Radiant Crystal, 3 Bronze, 1 Impulse Pickaxe |
| Machete | 4 Hardwood Plank, 4 Iron Sheet, 2 Radiant Crystal, 3 Bronze, 1 Impact Axe |
| Sprinkler | 4 Iron Nail, 4 Bronze, 1 Bronze Watering Can |
| Steel Wide Hoe | 4 Hardwood Plank, 2 Radiant Crystal, 1 Wide Hoe |
| Noble Rod | 1 Rod Shaft, 2 Fishing Line, 5 Bronze, 5 Iron Sheet, 5 Prism, 1 Chrono Rod |
Intermediate-Level Tools
Intermediate tools start incorporating advanced materials like Starflare Crystals, Alloy, Rubber, and Prism. These materials typically come from deeper Moonlit Forest exploration and higher-tier crafting stations.
| Tool | Ingredients |
|---|---|
| Blast Hammer | 20 Premium Wood, 5 Alloy, 5 Starflare Crystal, 5 Rubber, 1 Impact Hammer |
| Sharp Machete | 5 Starflare Crystal, 5 Rubber, 1 Machete |
| Mechanical Tiller | 5 Alloy, 5 Premium Wood Plank, 5 Prism, 5 High Performance Wire Set |
| Milk Bottle | 1 Glass Pane |
| Electric Shearer | 4 Iron Sheet |
| Ukelele | 3 Hardwood Plank, 3 Iron Sheet, 2 Leather, 2 Glue, 5 Carbon Line |
| Pressurized Sprinkler | 5 Rubber, 3 Glue, 1 Sprinkler |
The Milk Bottle and Electric Shearer are ranching tools — the Milk Bottle for collecting milk from cattle and the Electric Shearer for harvesting wool. The Ukelele is also a ranching tool used to boost animal happiness. The Mechanical Tiller replaces manual hoeing entirely for farming, making it one of the most impactful upgrades at this tier.
Senior-Level Tools
Senior-tier tools demand rare materials like Meteor Plank, Chip, and Eternal Alloy. These represent a major power spike, particularly the Electric Drill and Chainsaw, which replace the Impact Hammer and Sharp Machete for mining and woodcutting respectively.
| Tool | Ingredients |
|---|---|
| Electric Drill | 6 Meteor Plank, 5 Chip, 6 Eternal Alloy, 8 High Performance Wire Set |
| Chainsaw | 6 Meteor Plank, 5 Chip, 6 Eternal Alloy, 8 High Performance Wire Set |
| Fishing Net | 10 Rubber, 30 Carbon Line, 10 Iron Sheet, 5 Premium Wood Plank |
| Realm Summoner | 5 Gold Ingot, 5 Hardwood |
| Powered Hoe | 5 Premium Wood Plank, 3 Starflare Crystal, 3 Alloy, 5 Rubber |
| Lost Angler's Rod | 5 Rod Shaft, 7 Fishing Line, 10 Rubber |
| Divine Rod | 5 Rod Shaft, 7 Fishing Line, 10 Rubber |
| Dawnbreak Rod | 5 Rod Shaft, 7 Fishing Line, 10 Rubber |
| Titanium Rod | 1 Rod Shaft, 2 Fishing Line, 6 Eternal Alloy |
The Lost Angler's Rod, Divine Rod, and Dawnbreak Rod all share identical crafting costs but likely differ in their fishing bonuses or the types of fish they can catch. The Titanium Rod stands apart with its Eternal Alloy requirement, suggesting it's the strongest Senior fishing rod. The Electric Drill and Chainsaw share the same recipe, so plan your material gathering accordingly — you'll need double the Meteor Plank, Chips, Eternal Alloy, and Wire Sets if you want both.
Expert-Level Tools
Expert is the highest crafting tier. Only four tools sit at this level, and they represent the endgame of their respective categories.
| Tool | Ingredients |
|---|---|
| Astra Rod | 5 Rod Shaft, 7 Fishing Line, 10 Rubber |
| Wanderer's Rod | 1 Rod Shaft, 2 Fishing Line, 6 Alloy, 5 Spring, 5 Magnet |
| Solar Rod | 1 Rod Shaft, 2 Fishing Line, 6 Alloy, 5 Spring, 5 Magnet, 1 Noble Rod |
| Hydraulic Powered Hoe | 3 Eternal Alloy, 5 Meteor Plank, 1 Powered Hoe |
The Solar Rod consumes a Noble Rod as a component, creating a direct upgrade chain from Chrono Rod (Apprentice) to Noble Rod (Junior) to Solar Rod (Expert). Keep that Noble Rod in your storage rather than selling it. The Hydraulic Powered Hoe similarly requires a Powered Hoe from the Senior tier, continuing the farming tool upgrade path.
Exploration-Only Tool Blueprints
Not every tool blueprint can be bought from a shop. A handful are found exclusively through exploration — dropped by defeated creatures, hidden in treasure chests scattered around the island, or obtained as random loot while harvesting resources.
| Tool | Ingredients |
|---|---|
| Crossbow | 15 Premium Wood, 3 Gold Wire, 4 Iron Sheet |
| Geocalligraphy Brush | 3 Hardwood Plank, 2 White Wool, 15 Fiber |
| Broom | 5 Softwood, 5 Fiber |
| Moonlight Glow Stick | 2 Radiant Core, 1 Glass Pane, 2 Softwood |
The Crossbow blueprint is specifically earned by reaching Expert Explorer rank through Zephyria's quest chain. The Realm Summoner and Sprinkler also appear in the exploration loot pool, though both can be crafted through normal profession progression as well — the exploration versions may use slightly different ingredient quantities (the Sprinkler found through exploration requires 5 Hardwood Plank instead of the shop version's recipe).
Key Blueprints From Quests and the Tutorial
Several essential tool blueprints are handed to you through the story rather than purchased. The tutorial quest "Recent Returnee" teaches you the Axe, Stone Pickaxe, Stone Hoe, Wooden Watering Can, Wooden Rod, Bug Net, Campfire, and Worktable I. Solara teaches the Axe blueprint directly during your first interaction.
Other quest-locked blueprints include the Skateboard (awarded for becoming an Apprentice Crafter), the Verdant Breeze rollerblades (Junior Crafter), and the Ore Analyzer (also Junior Crafter). The Golden Slingshot comes from completing Momo's Gift during the Explorer quest chain. Various bait types — Bug Bait, Meat Bait, and Veggie Bait — arrive by mail from Francis on Day 3, while Rabbit Feed comes from Pastelle on Day 4.
Tool progression in Starsand Island is deliberately gated behind profession advancement. Prioritizing the Crafter profession early gives you access to workbench upgrades that unlock everything else. Keep old tools in storage rather than selling them, since many higher-tier recipes consume the previous version as a crafting ingredient. And if you're stuck wondering why you can't craft something, check whether the blueprint needs to be purchased from a profession-specific shop rather than the General Store — that's the most common stumbling block.