The axe is one of the very first tools you will get to use as a new villager in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It’s unlockable with an axe recipe, which is given to you by Tom Nook at Resident Services.
Axes have many uses, from hitting rocks to cutting wood and trees. Upgrades to the base recipe require DIYs.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons (2020) is exclusively available on Nintendo Switch.
How to Get an Axe
To get an axe in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you’ll first need to get a Flimsy Fishing Rod and Flimsy Net from Tom Nook. You will need to use the rod to catch at least 1-2 fish and the net to catch at least 1-2 bugs.
Once you present Tom Nook with two examples of fish and bugs, you will receive the recipe to craft the Flimsy Axe.
Crafting the Flimsy Axe requires the following materials:
- 1 Stone
- 5 Tree Branch
How to Upgrade the Axe
Given that the Flimsy Axe breaks easily and requires consistent replacement, it’s better to make the effort to upgrade it to the higher-quality Stone Axe.
To upgrade the axe, visit the Nook Stop terminal and purchase the Pretty-Good Tools recipe pack. It costs 3,000 Nook Miles. This includes various DIY recipes, including Axes, Fishing Rods, Shovels, Watering Cans, and Nets.
Crafting the Stone Axe requires the following materials:
- 1 Flimsy Axe
- 3 Wood
Crafting the Axe requires the following materials:
- 1 Flimsy Axe
- 1 Iron Nugget
- 3 Wood
How to Unlock the Golden Axe
The Golden Axe is considered the “best” version of the axe in the game. Keep in mind, though, that all Golden tools can still break despite higher durability, and the Golden Axe will destroy rocks and cut down trees after brief use.
Still, if you really want it, you must break 100 Axes. This can be easily achieved by bulk-crafting Flimsy Axes and hitting rocks repeatedly.
Crafting the Golden Axe requires the following materials:
- 1 Axe
- 1 Gold Nugget