Pickaxe
The Pickaxe is a heavy blade-type melee weapon and multipurpose tool in DayZ. It can create farming plots, build or dismantle base structures, destroy certain fortifications, mine rocks for Stones and Small Stones, dig worms, bury containers, open cans with food loss, remove restraints, and perform several survival crafting actions.
Quick item summary
Quick answer
The Pickaxe is one of DayZ’s most useful heavy tool weapons. It works as a dangerous melee weapon while also supporting farming, base building, mining, stashing, food preparation, restraint removal, and survival crafting.
In-game description
“As a digging tool, a pickaxe can indeed be used to dig, mine, or even defend oneself if needed.”
Main Uses
- Create farming plots for fruits and vegetables
- Build base structures like fences and watchtowers
- Dismantle certain player-built fortifications
- Completely destroy certain player-built fortifications
- Break down multiple crafted items such as traps, splints, hand drill kits, and fishing rods
- Poke holes in an Oil Barrel
- Sharpen a Long Stick or Broom
- Skin and quarter dead animals or players
- Cut Pumpkin into slices and seeds
- Cut Zucchini seeds
- Mine large rock formations for Stones
- Break Stones into Small Stones
- Open canned food with 40% to 70% food loss
- Remove certain restraints from players
- Bury and dig up containers for hidden storage
- Dig up three worms at a time for fishing bait
- Use as a heavy blade melee weapon
- Repair with a Sharpening Stone
How to use this item
Mine rocks
Use the Pickaxe on large rock formations to obtain Stones and break them down into Small Stones.
- Equip the Pickaxe.
- Find a valid large rock formation.
- Use the mine rock action.
- Collect the Stones or Small Stones.
Create a farming plot
Use the Pickaxe to create a plot for planting fruits and vegetables.
- Equip the Pickaxe.
- Find a suitable flat area.
- Use the create plot action.
- Plant seeds and water the plot as needed.
Use in base building
The Pickaxe can be used during base construction, dismantling, and destruction.
- Equip the Pickaxe near a compatible base-building object.
- Use it to build compatible structures like fences or watchtowers.
- Use dismantle or destroy actions when available.
Bury or dig up containers
Use the Pickaxe to bury containers for hidden storage or dig them back up later.
- Place a compatible container on the ground.
- Use the Pickaxe to bury it.
- Return later with a digging tool to recover it.
Dig worms
The Pickaxe can dig up three worms at a time for fishing bait.
- Equip the Pickaxe.
- Look at suitable ground.
- Use the dig worms action.
- Collect the worms and combine them with a fishing hook.
Open canned food
The Pickaxe can open canned food, but it wastes a lot of food.
- Hold the canned food or the Pickaxe.
- Combine the Pickaxe with the can.
- Open the can and expect 40% to 70% food loss.
Repair the Pickaxe
Use a Sharpening Stone to repair a damaged Pickaxe.
- Place the Pickaxe in your hands or inventory.
- Combine it with a Sharpening Stone.
- Repair it until it reaches a better condition state.
How to get Pickaxe
- Search farm areas.
- Search industrial areas.
- Check barns, sheds, warehouses, construction zones, garages, and work buildings.
- Loot players or bases where heavy tools are stored.
Spawn info
- • The Pickaxe is listed as a common item found in farm and industrial locations.
- • It is large, taking 18 inventory slots, but has strong utility and melee value.
Crafting and item conversions
Used in recipes
Small Stone
Result: Small Stone
Craft Small Stone using Rock and Pickaxe.
View crafting guideImportant notes
- The Pickaxe is both a tool and a blade-type melee weapon.
- It is one of the stronger melee weapons because of its damage and utility.
- It can mine rock formations for Stones and Small Stones.
- An unused pristine Pickaxe can mine 16 Stones before becoming ruined.
- It can dig up three worms at a time for fishing bait.
- It can create farming plots.
- It can build, dismantle, and destroy certain player-built fortifications.
- Destroying fortifications with the Pickaxe does not return materials.
- It can open canned food, but spills 40% to 70% of the food.
- It can remove certain restraints from players.
- It can be repaired with a Sharpening Stone.