Actually Useful Smithing Table

Find it strange that the Smithing Table is used for exactly one thing and nothing else?

Wish that "Upgrade Gear" meant more than "Upgrade Diamond to Netherite?"

Well, now it does! This mod adds the missing recipes for tools and armor from wood and leather, all the way up to diamond. Now you can feel a sense of pride and accomplishment™ as you keep one pickaxe for your entire playthrough, and upgrade it as you go along.

UPDATE 1/7/2025:

After trying (and failing) to update past 1.19 due to an apparent Forge bug that I never managed to fix, development had stalled. However! Github user Scott M. Barbour has updated the mod to 1.21.1 on NeoForge with only the full repair feature currently not working(, and currently no other mods supported). With this working version, I will continue to support from there going forward. Sorry to the 1.20 players.

What exactly does it do?

This mod allows you to follow a progressive upgrade system to take each tool from (older versions) wooden -> stone -> iron -> gold -> diamond and (newer versions) wooden -> stone -> copper -> iron -> gold -> diamond (and of course diamond -> netherite; but that was the vanilla purpose already)

Player and horse armor follows the same rules of leather -> chain (when applicable) -> copper -> iron -> gold -> diamond -> netherrite

Can I see?

Here's one example, but keep in mind all tools and armor can be upgraded the same way, without losing enchantments!:

Do you have to use ingots?

Nope! As of 1.18.X, there was two different versions: one that had ingots and one that had Blocks. As of 1.19.X-4.0.1 there's a single version with configs to choose which version you want.

The options with combinations of configs are:

Easy Mode: An ingot is all it takes to upgrade, and it fully repairs the item free (AKA no XP is required)

Normal Mode: An ingot is all it takes to upgrade the item but it's an equivalent exchange AKA a 50% durability sword being put in will come out a scaled 50% durability sword (E.G. A 150/250 durability Iron Sword becomes a 16/32 durability Golden Sword in the upgrade. Still 50% durability.)

Normal Mode w/ Full Repair: An ingot will upgrade without a full repair, a block of the item will upgrade and fully repair

Hard Mode: A full block of the item is required to upgrade, no full repair

Hard Mode w/Full Repair: A full block is required to upgrade, and it will fully repair the item

As of X.1.X for all versions, minimal mod support has been added for Nyf's Archery and Quivers, Amythest Tools, Everything Is Copper, and More Vanilla Weapons (i.e. tools from that mod can be upgraded using the smithing table just like the vanilla tools, I did not extend any tools however, so no obsidian plated tools, or quartz sharpened swords etc).

I'm happy to receive more input on mods to support, even better and faster if you can supply the files yourself via github pull or by submitting a datapack in the discord channel.

To make custom recipes in a datapack, create a datapack and make recipe files using the following layout:

 Where the base item is the input into the smithing table, the addition item is what to upgrade with, and the result item is what comes out. The difficulty is either "easy" which works for easy and normal modes, or "hard" which works with hard mode and normal mode with repair enabled. "upgrade" also works, for recipes that should work regardless of the mod's difficulty setting (like upgrading tools using a block of obsidian).

Got any more plans for this mod?

It would be kind of cool if you could use the smithing table like a vanilla-themed Tinker's system. I might try to figure out how to do that later. For now, it's just what you see.

Great, but how do I install this mod?

1.21.1: Install NeoForge 21.1.92 or newer; and then just drop the jar in the mods folder.

1.19: Install Minecraft Forge 44.1.0 or newer; and then just drop the jar in the mods folder.

1.18: Install  Minecraft Forge 40.1.0 or newer; and then just drop the jar into the mods folder.

1.17: Install  Minecraft Forge 37.1.1 or newer; and then just drop the jar into the mods folder.

1.16: Install  Minecraft Forge 36.2.34 or newer; and then just drop the jar into the mods folder.

What versions are you supporting?

1.21.1, or newer, only.

Will you make a F- 

No, I have no interest in using my free time to play around with Fabric.

You're more than welcome to port it to Fabric yourself; I'll even host it on this page for everyone, if you want.

For 1.17, 1.18, and 1.19.2, zekk051 made a Fabric port though it seems he isn't updating it anymore, so the newer features added past October of 2022 won't be represented there

Can I use this in Modpacks?

Do whatever you want. :)

How can I talk to you?

Want to ask a question, request a feature, submit a bug report, or just talk to me?

Have I not checked this page, the Minecraft Forum or GitHub in awhile?

Feel free to join my discord channel and say hello.

Can I support you, so you can continue making cool mods?

If you'd like. I have a Patreon. There's also a donate button right here on this page.

This mod allows you to upgrade tools and armor in a smithing table by supplying the appropriate blocks. Adding in a cobblestone block with a wooden pickaxe will get you a cobblestone pickaxe, etc. You can also apply obsidian to tools to make them stronger, like a vanilla themed "tinkers construct" style upgrade system.