The fastest way to strip enchantments in Minecraft is with a grindstone. It removes all non-curse enchantments in one action and returns a small amount of experience. If you need to remove just one enchantment, vanilla gameplay doesn’t support it directly, but there are reliable workarounds.

Method 1: Disenchant with a Grindstone (all non-curse enchantments)

A grindstone is the intended way to remove enchantments. It deletes all non-curse enchantments and grants some XP based on the removed enchantments’ levels.

Step 1: Craft a grindstone. Combine 2 sticks + 1 stone slab + 2 wooden planks in the crafting grid (any wood works).

Step 2: Place the grindstone and open its interface. You’ll see two input slots labeled Repair & Disenchant and one output slot.

Step 3: Put the enchanted item in one input slot. The output slot shows an unenchanted version of the same item.

Step 4: Take the output item. You’ll get the same item with the same durability, all non-curse enchantments removed, and a small XP payout.

Notes: Grindstones do not remove curses (Curse of Binding, Curse of Vanishing). This method works on both Java and Bedrock.

Method 2: Strip enchantments via the crafting grid (no XP back)

Repairing two of the same item in the crafting grid also removes all non-curse enchantments. This is useful early game if you don’t have a grindstone.

Step 1: Open a crafting grid (2×2 inventory or 3×3 table).

Step 2: Place the enchanted item in one slot and a second item of the same type in another slot. The output shows a repaired item without enchantments.

Step 3: Take the output item. You’ll merge durability and remove all non-curse enchantments, but you won’t gain XP. Some items can’t be repaired this way and must use an anvil instead.

Method 3: Remove one specific enchantment (workaround with an anvil)

Vanilla Minecraft has no direct way to delete a single enchantment. You can, however, “overwrite” certain unwanted enchants by combining with an incompatible enchantment on an anvil. This only works for mutually exclusive pairs.

Step 1: Identify a mutually exclusive pair that involves the enchantment you want to remove. Common pairs include:

  • Fortune vs. Silk Touch (tools).
  • Mending vs. Infinity (bows).
  • Frost Walker vs. Depth Strider (boots).
  • Riptide vs. Loyalty/Channeling (tridents).

Step 2: Prepare a “target” item that already has the enchantment you want to keep. For example, use a Fortune pickaxe if you want to get rid of Silk Touch.

Step 3: On an anvil, put the target item in the left slot and the item containing the unwanted, incompatible enchantment in the right slot. The output will retain the target’s incompatible enchantment and drop the other.

Step 4: Pay the level cost to take the result. Costs increase with prior anvil work (“prior work penalty”). If a merge exceeds 39 levels in Survival (Java), split your combinations into smaller steps.

Important: This only works where a true incompatibility exists. If the enchantment you want to remove has no incompatible counterpart (e.g., Unbreaking, Efficiency), there is no selective removal in vanilla—rebuild the item using enchanted books instead.

Method 4: Remove a single enchantment with commands (Java, cheats)

Operators can delete a specific enchantment using NBT commands. This is not available in Bedrock and requires cheats in Java.

Step 1: Enable cheats or use a world/server where you have operator privileges.

Step 2: Place the item in a container (e.g., chest) at known coordinates so you can target it precisely.

Step 3: Run a /data remove command that targets the item’s enchant list entry. Adjust coordinates, item, and enchantment IDs as needed:

/data remove block 12 23 34 Items[{id:"minecraft:diamond_sword"}].tag.Enchantments[{id:"minecraft:sharpness"}]
Safety tip: Back up your world first. Incorrect selectors do nothing or may remove the wrong data.

Limits and curse enchantments

Curses cannot be removed by grindstones or crafting repairs. Curse of Binding prevents removing worn armor; you can only clear it by dying (or breaking the item). Curse of Vanishing causes the item to disappear on death, so there’s nothing to recover. To avoid carrying curses forward, rebuild items with known-good books or newly enchanted gear.

Practical tips

Use a grindstone when you want XP back and a clean reset of an item. The crafting grid is a quick no-XP alternative early on. For selective cleanup, the anvil “blocking” trick works only with mutually exclusive pairs; otherwise, plan to reassemble the item from books. When using an anvil, order matters for which enchantments survive, and breaking merges into smaller steps can keep the cost under the Survival cap.

With these options, you can reset gear quickly, salvage XP where possible, and handle edge cases safely—even when a precise single-enchant removal isn’t supported in vanilla.