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Cave in Minecraft, shown for the Isn't It Iron Pick advancement (Minecraft tab)
Cave in Minecraft, shown here for Isn't It Iron Pick in the Minecraft tab. Image: Big Dark Cave.jpg from minecraft.wiki, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0.
MinecraftEasy
Isn't It Iron Pick advancement icon in Minecraft, Iron Pickaxe in easy difficulty

Isn't It Iron Pick

Upgrade your Pickaxe

Requirements: Craft an iron pickaxe using 3 iron ingots and 2 sticks on a crafting table.

Isn't It Iron Pick advancement icon in MinecraftAdvancement Made!Isn't It Iron Pick

Overview

Isn't It Iron Pick is a task advancement in the Minecraft tab of Minecraft's advancement system, carrying the in-game description "Upgrade your Pickaxe." It branches directly off Acquire Hardware, so that earlier advancement is its prerequisite and must be earned first. The Minecraft tab covers the main story progression tree. Isn't It Iron Pick was added in Minecraft 1.12 and is still in the 26.2 advancement set.

It is rated Easy difficulty on this site: can be completed quickly with minimal resources. Good for beginners. It uses the standard task frame, meaning it is a normal step in the tree rather than a goal or challenge milestone. One further advancement, Diamonds!, is gated behind it.

In tree terms, Isn't It Iron Pick sits fourth along its line: the full path from the Minecraft root reads Minecraft -> Stone Age -> Getting an Upgrade -> Acquire Hardware -> Isn't It Iron Pick. That means 4 advancements must be completed before this one becomes available, and Isn't It Iron Pick is one of 16 total advancements in the Minecraft tab. It shares its parent with 2 sibling advancements (Suit Up and Hot Stuff), all of which open from the same point in the tree.

How to Complete Isn't It Iron Pick

Earning Isn't It Iron Pick comes down to the following, performed in order:

  1. Craft an iron pickaxe using 3 iron ingots and 2 sticks on a crafting table.
  2. This allows you to mine gold, diamond, and other valuable ores.

Tips & Fastest Route

  • Fastest route: Craft an iron pickaxe from 3 iron ingots and 2 sticks.
  • The iron pickaxe is the gateway tool: it is the minimum tier that can mine diamonds, gold and redstone.
  • Make sure Acquire Hardware is already ticked off before you start, otherwise Isn't It Iron Pick will not be tracked even if you perform the steps correctly.
  • This is one of the more approachable Minecraft advancements, so it is a good early target while you build toward the harder entries deeper in the branch.

Common Mistakes

  • Remember that Isn't It Iron Pick will not appear as available until Acquire Hardware is done, since the game only tracks an advancement once its parent has been unlocked.

Reward & What It Unlocks

Isn't It Iron Pick grants no experience directly; its value is progression rather than a point payout.

Earning it unlocks Diamonds!, which becomes the next step along this branch of the tree.

Details

Advancement ID
minecraft:story/iron_tools
Icon Item
Iron Pickaxe
Category
Minecraft
Difficulty
Easy
XP Reward
None
Version Added
1.12

Advancement Tree

Child Advancements (1)