Better Pickaxes changes how pickaxes are crafted and upgraded in Minecraft.
This mod adds a progression system based on parts, mini pickaxes, half materials, and a reinforced crafting table. Instead of crafting strong pickaxes directly in the normal way, you build them through custom recipes and upgrades.
Features

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Removes vanilla crafting recipes for:

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wooden pickaxe

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stone pickaxe

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iron pickaxe

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golden pickaxe

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diamond pickaxe

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lightning rod

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sticks

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Adds custom stick crafting recipes

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Adds part items used to craft full pickaxes

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Adds mini pickaxes for each material tier

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Adds half versions of ingots, diamond, cobblestone, and plank blocks

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Half materials can be combined back into full materials

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Adds a custom Reinforced Crafting Table

Reinforced Crafting Table

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Used for advanced crafting

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Required for crafting full pickaxe parts and full pickaxes

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Can also upgrade pickaxes

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Upgrading on the reinforced table keeps enchantments
Regular Crafting Table

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Can craft mini pickaxes

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Can upgrade pickaxes too

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Upgrading on the regular table does not keep enchantments
Upgrade System Pickaxes can be upgraded step by step instead of crafted from scratch:

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wooden -> stone

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stone -> copper

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copper -> iron

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iron -> diamond
Mini pickaxes can also be upgraded:

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mini wooden -> mini stone

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mini stone -> mini copper

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mini copper -> mini iron

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mini iron -> mini diamond

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mini diamond -> mini netherite with smithing
Golden pickaxes are excluded from the upgrade path.

Mini Pickaxes

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Same mining speed and attack damage as their normal versions

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About half the durability of the normal version

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Can be enchanted

Notes

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Designed for Fabric 1.21.1, 1.21.4, 1.21.8

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Adds a different survival progression focused on material efficiency and upgrading

BetterPickaxes