Mending is easily one of the most useful enchantments in Minecraft. Once you put it on your tools, weapons, armor, or Elytra, that item can repair itself using XP orbs.
That means your diamond pickaxe, netherite sword, armor set, or Elytra can last almost forever if you keep collecting experience.
The only problem is that Mending is not like normal enchantments. You cannot simply place a book in an enchanting table and hope to get it. You need to find it through special methods.
In this guide, we will explain the fastest way to get Mending in Minecraft Java and Bedrock, the best villager method, other ways to find Mending books, and how to avoid wasting time.
What Does Mending Do in Minecraft?
Mending repairs your item using XP orbs.
When you collect experience while holding or wearing an item with Mending, the XP first goes toward repairing the item. If the item is already fully repaired, the XP goes into your player level instead.
💎 Simple meaning: Mending turns XP into durability repair.
This is why Mending is so powerful. Instead of constantly crafting new tools or repairing items with expensive anvil costs, you can keep your best gear alive by farming XP.
If you are building your final gear setup, you should also check our guide on best enchantments for all Minecraft tools and armor.
Can You Get Mending from the Enchanting Table?
No, you cannot get Mending from the enchanting table in vanilla Minecraft.
Mending is a treasure enchantment. That means it only comes from special sources like villager trades, loot chests, fishing, and some Bedrock specific drops.
| Method | Can Give Mending? | Worth It? |
|---|---|---|
| Enchanting Table | No | No |
| Librarian Villager | Yes | Best method |
| Fishing | Yes | Slow |
| Loot Chests | Yes | Random |
| Raid Drops | Yes, Bedrock only | Unreliable |
Fastest Way to Get Mending in Minecraft
The fastest way to get Mending in Minecraft is by using a librarian villager.
In normal Java and Bedrock survival worlds, you can turn an unemployed villager into a librarian using a lectern. Then, you can break and replace the lectern until the villager offers a Mending enchanted book.
Once the villager offers Mending, trade with them once. This locks the trade permanently, so you can come back and buy more Mending books later.
✅ Best method: Use a librarian villager, reroll trades with a lectern, and lock the Mending trade as soon as it appears.
Best Method for Java Edition
In normal Minecraft Java Edition, the best method is the lectern reroll method.
You need one unemployed villager, one lectern, emeralds, and a book.
Java Method Steps
- Find an unemployed villager.
- Place a lectern near the villager.
- Wait for the villager to become a librarian.
- Open the trade menu and check the first enchanted book trade.
- If it is not Mending, break the lectern.
- Place the lectern again and check the trade again.
- Repeat until the librarian offers Mending.
- Buy one Mending book to lock the trade.
This can take a few minutes or longer depending on your luck. Sometimes you get Mending quickly. Sometimes the villager acts like he has personal beef with your pickaxe.
Best Method for Bedrock Edition
In normal Minecraft Bedrock Edition, the fastest method is also the librarian lectern reroll method.
The process is almost the same as Java. Get an unemployed villager, place a lectern, check the trade, and keep resetting the profession until you see Mending.
Bedrock Method Steps
- Find or breed an unemployed villager.
- Place a lectern close to the villager.
- Check if the villager becomes a librarian.
- Open trades and look for a Mending book.
- Break and replace the lectern if Mending is not there.
- Repeat until Mending appears.
- Trade once to lock the villager.
Bedrock players can also get Mending from raid drops, but that method is not reliable enough if you want Mending fast.
What If Villager Trade Rebalance Is Enabled?
This is where many players get confused.
In normal worlds, any librarian can offer Mending randomly. But if the Villager Trade Rebalance experimental setting is enabled, Mending works differently.
With the rebalance enabled, Mending is tied to a swamp librarian instead of being a random trade from any librarian.
| World Type | How Mending Works | Best Method |
|---|---|---|
| Normal Java or Bedrock World | Any librarian can randomly sell Mending | Lectern reroll |
| Trade Rebalance Enabled | Swamp librarian is needed for Mending | Create or breed a swamp librarian |
If you never turned on the experimental trade rebalance, do not waste time searching for a swamp villager. Just use the normal librarian reroll method.
How to Get a Mending Villager Fast
For most players, this is the best setup.
Items You Need
| Item | Why You Need It |
|---|---|
| Lectern | Turns a villager into a librarian |
| Emeralds | Used to buy the Mending book |
| Book | Usually required for the enchanted book trade |
| Bed | Helps keep the villager connected to the village |
| Blocks or fences | Keeps the villager trapped safely |
Best Setup
Trap one unemployed villager inside a small safe room. Place a lectern in front of them. Make sure there are no other lecterns nearby, because the villager may connect to the wrong workstation.
Now check the trade. If the enchanted book is not Mending, break the lectern and place it again.
Repeat this until you see Mending.
⚠️ Important: Do not trade with the librarian until you see Mending. Once you trade, the villager profession and trades are locked.
Best Time to Reroll Villager Trades
Villagers only claim workstations during working hours.
If your villager is not changing trades, it may be the wrong time of day, or the villager may already be linked to another workstation.
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Villager does not become librarian | Remove nearby workstations and place the lectern again |
| Trade is not changing | Make sure you have not traded with the villager |
| Villager ignores lectern | Try during working hours |
| Another villager takes the lectern | Separate the villager in a closed room |
How Much Does a Mending Book Cost?
A Mending book price can vary.
Usually, librarian enchanted books can cost emeralds plus a book. The exact price depends on the trade, villager demand, discounts, and version behavior.
If you want cheaper Mending books, cure a zombie villager or use Hero of the Village after a raid.
💰 Smart tip: Once you get a Mending librarian, protect them like they are made of netherite. Losing that villager is painful.
How to Make Mending Books Cheaper
The easiest way to reduce the price is by curing a zombie villager.
If a zombie villager is cured, it can offer discounted trades. This can make expensive enchanted books much cheaper.
You can also use the Hero of the Village effect after winning a raid, but this discount is temporary.
| Discount Method | How It Works | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Curing Zombie Villager | Gives long lasting discounts | Permanent trading halls |
| Hero of the Village | Gives temporary discounts after raids | Buying many books quickly |
| Trading Often | Keeps the villager useful and restocked | Regular survival use |
Can You Get Mending from Fishing?
Yes, you can get Mending from fishing, but it is not fast.
Mending books are treasure loot, so they are rare. Even with Luck of the Sea, fishing is still slower than villager trading.
Fishing is only worth it if you are playing casually, doing an AFK fishing setup where allowed, or you do not have villagers nearby.
Can You Find Mending in Loot Chests?
Yes, Mending can appear in loot chests, but this method depends heavily on luck.
You may find Mending books or Mending gear in places like Ancient Cities, Strongholds, End Cities, mineshafts, dungeons, and other loot structures.
Ancient Cities can be useful for enchanted books, but they are dangerous because of the Warden.
If you are planning to explore the Deep Dark, read our guide on how to kill the Warden in Minecraft, although honestly, avoiding the Warden is usually the smarter move.
Java vs Bedrock: Best Way to Get Mending
| Edition | Fastest Method | Backup Method |
|---|---|---|
| Java Edition | Librarian villager reroll | Fishing or loot chests |
| Bedrock Edition | Librarian villager reroll | Fishing, loot chests, or raid drops |
| Trade Rebalance Enabled | Swamp librarian | Loot chests or fishing |
For both Java and Bedrock, villagers are still the best method unless your world has the experimental trade rebalance enabled.
Best Items to Put Mending On First
Once you finally get Mending, do not waste it on random gear.
Use it on items that are expensive, rare, or annoying to replace.
| Priority | Item | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pickaxe | You use it constantly for mining |
| 2 | Elytra | Very valuable and cannot be crafted |
| 3 | Chestplate or Leggings | High durability armor pieces |
| 4 | Sword or Axe | Useful for combat and farms |
| 5 | Shovel | Great for large digging projects |
| 6 | Helmet and Boots | Important for final armor sets |
If you already have Elytra, Mending should go on it as soon as possible. Repairing Elytra without Mending is annoying, and losing one hurts.
Mending vs Infinity: Which One Should You Choose?
Mending and Infinity cannot be used together on the same bow in normal survival.
So, if you are making a bow, you must choose one.
| Bow Enchantment | Best For | Downside |
|---|---|---|
| Mending | Long lasting bow | You need arrows |
| Infinity | Using one arrow forever | Bow must be repaired manually |
For most casual players, Infinity feels better on a bow. For long term players with good arrow farms, Mending is also fine.
How to Use Mending Properly
Mending only works when the item can receive XP repair.
If it is armor, you can wear it. If it is a tool or weapon, hold it in your main hand or off hand while collecting XP.
For example, if your pickaxe is damaged, hold it while collecting XP from mobs, furnaces, trading, or XP farms.
🛠️ Quick fix: If your Mending item is not repairing, make sure you are holding or wearing the damaged item when collecting XP.
Best XP Sources for Mending
Mending becomes much better when you have a reliable XP source.
| XP Source | Good For Mending? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Villager Trading | Yes | Safe and useful |
| Mob Farm | Yes | Great for repairing gear |
| Spawner Farm | Yes | Easy if you find a spawner |
| Enderman Farm | Excellent | Very strong late game XP |
| Furnace XP | Good | Useful early and mid game |
| Mining Quartz | Good | Fast Nether XP, but risky |
Villager trading is underrated for Mending because it gives XP while also helping you buy more enchanted books.
Common Mistakes When Getting Mending
Here are the mistakes that waste the most time:
- Trying to get Mending from the enchanting table.
- Trading with a librarian before checking for Mending.
- Letting zombies kill your Mending villager.
- Fishing for hours before trying villager trading.
- Using Mending on temporary iron gear.
- Forgetting that Mending and Infinity cannot go together on a bow.
- Not holding or wearing the damaged item while collecting XP.
The biggest mistake is locking the wrong librarian trade. If you trade even once before Mending appears, that villager will keep those trades forever.
Best Overall Strategy
If you want Mending fast, follow this order:
- Find a village.
- Trap one unemployed villager safely.
- Craft and place a lectern.
- Reroll trades until Mending appears.
- Buy one Mending book to lock the trade.
- Protect the villager with walls, light, and blocks.
- Use the books on your best gear first.
This is faster, cleaner, and more reliable than fishing or searching random loot chests.
If your world has the experimental trade rebalance enabled, create a swamp librarian instead and level them up for Mending.
Final Words
The fastest way to get Mending in Minecraft Java and Bedrock is through librarian villager trading.
In normal worlds, any librarian can offer Mending, so you can reroll trades by breaking and replacing a lectern. Once Mending appears, trade once to lock it forever.
If the experimental Villager Trade Rebalance is enabled, you need a swamp librarian instead.
Fishing, loot chests, and raid drops can also give Mending, but they are much slower and less reliable. So, if you want Mending fast, do not overcomplicate it. Get a villager, place a lectern, reroll patiently, and protect that librarian like your whole world depends on it. Because honestly, your netherite pickaxe kind of does. 😄
FAQs
What is the fastest way to get Mending in Minecraft?
The fastest way is to use a librarian villager and reroll trades with a lectern until the villager offers a Mending book.
Can you get Mending from the enchantment table?
No, Mending is a treasure enchantment and cannot be obtained from the enchantment table.
Can any librarian sell Mending?
In normal Java and Bedrock worlds, yes, any librarian can randomly offer Mending. If the experimental Villager Trade Rebalance is enabled, Mending is tied to swamp librarians.
How do you lock a Mending villager trade?
Buy one Mending book from the librarian. After the first trade, the villager keeps that trade permanently.
Can you get Mending from fishing?
Yes, but it is slow and luck based. Villager trading is much faster.
Can you get Mending in Bedrock from raids?
Yes, Bedrock Edition can give enchanted books through raid drops, but it is not a reliable fast method.
What should I put Mending on first?
Put Mending on your best pickaxe, Elytra, or netherite gear first. These items are the most valuable to keep repaired.
Why is my Mending item not repairing?
The item must be damaged, and you must be holding it or wearing it while collecting XP. If another Mending item needs repair, XP may go to that item instead.
Can Mending and Infinity go together?
No, Mending and Infinity cannot be combined on the same bow in normal survival Minecraft.
Is Mending worth getting early?
Yes, but use it wisely. It is best saved for diamond, netherite, Elytra, and other gear you plan to keep for a long time.
Ankit kumar is a Digital Marketing Manager and a fan of the COD franchise and Roblox. Perfection is his forte, and the same can be seen in his work. He loves to invest his time in creating awesome content, doing SEO and discovering the latest games.