Smithing Tweaks
by hayranee
Smithing Tweaks lets players upgrade vanilla armor and tools to the next grade through the smithing table, with a custom upgrade template for each step.
What it does
Upgrading leather and chainmail armor requires an iron nugget and a full ingot in place of the usual materials. Other upgrades use a new upgrade template item, crafted from the recipe the mod provides. Enchantments carry over to the upgraded tools and armor, so the progress works much like the vanilla netherite upgrade, and players do not need to re-enchant gear after upgrading.
Files are published for Fabric, Forge and NeoForge across three game versions, 1.20.1, 1.21.1 and 1.21.8, with 1.0.0 as the latest file for each loader. Both the server and every player need the mod, and it is released under CC0 1.0 Universal and is not open source.
Key features
Next-grade armor upgrades
Vanilla armor pieces can be upgraded to the next grade at a smithing table, following the same progression path as netherite.
Enchantment retention
Enchantments stay on tools and armor after an upgrade, so gear does not need to be re-enchanted.
Tool upgrades
Tools move to the next grade through the same upgrade process used for armor.
Upgrade template recipe
Each upgrade needs a new template item crafted from a recipe the mod adds to the game.
Gallery
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Use cases
Mid-game progression
Players who want a route to better gear before netherite can use iron and diamond stages while keeping their enchantments.
Who it’s for: Survival players and server owners who want armor and tool upgrades beyond the vanilla netherite step, on either Fabric, Forge or NeoForge.
How it compares
Iron to Diamond Armor Upgrades is server required, with client optional, and is open source under the MIT License, published for 1.20 – 26.2 on Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt. Better Smithing Upgrades needs both the client and the server, is not open source and is covered by All rights reserved, with Forge and NeoForge files for 1.20 – 1.21.1.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smithing Tweaks | Fabric, Forge and NeoForge | 1.20.1 – 1.21.8 | Client and server | 2025-12-01 |
| Iron to Diamond Armor Upgrades [PurpurPack] | Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt | 1.20 – 26.2 | Server required, client optional | 2026-06-24 |
| Better Smithing Upgrades | Forge and NeoForge | 1.20 – 1.21.1 | Client and server | 2026-03-28 |
Questions
Does Smithing Tweaks need to be installed on both sides?
Which loader should a player pick for Smithing Tweaks?
Are enchantments kept after an upgrade?
In the catalog
Smithing Tweaks is one of 17,631 Equipment mods on ModsFinder, and one of 8,894 Equipment mods for Fabric. 17,695 mods support Minecraft 1.21.8.
Similar mods
What the author says
Note: Older Versions of the Mod (Before MC 1.20.1 work different and have less stuff to upgrade) Note: Upgrading Leather to Chainmail Armor just requires an Iron Nugget, not a full Ingot
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/smithing-tweaks
- Owner
- hayranee
- Published
- 2025-12-01
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2025-12-01
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15