Smithing Tweaks
Vanilla Minecraft has always had a strange gap in its progression: once you craft a diamond pickaxe, there is nothing left to do with your old iron gear except toss it in a chest or melt it down. Smithing Tweaks closes that gap by turning the smithing table into a full upgrade station, letting you push any vanilla tool or piece of armor one tier higher without starting from scratch. If you have ever wished your favorite enchanted sword could grow with you instead of being replaced, this add-on was made for you.
What Smithing Tweaks Actually Does
The core idea is simple. Instead of crafting a brand new item every time you want better gear, you take what you already own and upgrade it at the smithing table. The progression follows the familiar vanilla ladder:
- Tools: Wood, Stone, Iron, Gold, Diamond
- Armor: Leather, Chainmail, Iron, Gold, Diamond
Each step consumes a dedicated Upgrade Template along with the base material for the next tier. One small quirk worth remembering is that moving from leather to chainmail armor only needs an iron nugget rather than a full ingot, which makes early-game armor progression noticeably cheaper than you might expect. Older builds of the mod, specifically anything before Minecraft 1.20.1, behave differently and offer fewer upgrade paths, so keep that in mind if you are running a legacy pack.
Enchantments Stay Exactly Where They Belong
This is the question nearly every player asks first, and the answer is reassuring. Upgrading works just like vanilla netherite smithing: your enchantments, custom names, and durability carry over to the upgraded item untouched. That means the Sharpness V sword you have been nursing since your first iron ingot can ride all the way to diamond without losing a single level. No anvil gymnastics, no lost enchantments, no regrets.
Supported Versions and Loaders
Minecraft Versions
Smithing Tweaks supports a broad range of releases, from the modern 1.20.1 era onward, where the full template-based upgrade system is in place. If you play on an older version, the mod still functions, but with a reduced set of upgrade options and a different recipe structure. Checking the version list before you download Smithing Tweaks will save you from mismatched expectations.
Mod Loaders
The add-on is built for both Fabric and Forge, so whether you prefer the lightweight performance of Fabric or the long-standing ecosystem of Forge, you are covered. This dual support makes Smithing Tweaks for Minecraft an easy pick for modpacks of almost any flavor.
How to Install Smithing Tweaks
Getting the mod running is straightforward. First, confirm your Minecraft version and install the matching loader, either Fabric or Forge. Next, place the downloaded JAR file into your mods folder, which lives inside your .minecraft directory. Finally, launch the game with the modded profile and verify the mod appears in your mod list. If you are unsure about how to install mods manually, a launcher that handles the process for you removes most of the guesswork.
That is exactly where the foxygame.net launcher earns its keep: it lists Smithing Tweaks in its built-in add-on catalog, so you can add it to a compatible profile with a single click instead of hunting through folders. Because the launcher also keeps mods updated automatically, you never have to worry about a version mismatch breaking your smithing table recipes after a game update.
Recipes, Templates, and Customization
Every upgrade requires a new Upgrade Template item, which is crafted from basic materials you likely already have lying around. The template is consumed in the process, so you will need one per upgrade. As of now, there is no in-game config to disable or alter individual recipes. If you are comfortable editing files, you can open the mod JAR and modify or delete the recipe JSONs directly. The developer has hinted that config options may arrive in a future release, but nothing is confirmed yet.
Using It in Modpacks
Good news for pack authors: the mod is free to use in any project, including public modpacks. There are no restrictions on redistribution within a pack, so you can drop it into a progression-focused kitchen-sink modpack without worrying about permissions. It pairs especially well with tech and RPG mods that reward long-term gear investment.
Final Thoughts
Smithing Tweaks is a small mod with a big quality-of-life payoff. It respects your time, preserves your enchantments, and finally gives the smithing table a purpose beyond netherite. Whether you are a builder who hates re-enchanting tools or a pack developer looking for smoother progression, this add-on fits naturally into almost any setup. Grab it for your version, load it up, and start upgrading.