Can You Put Sharpness on a Mace? No, Use Density Instead

Why not

Sharpness is not on the mace's list. Here is what a mace can take instead: Curse of Vanishing, Wind Burst, Smite, Bane of Arthropods, Density, Breach, Fire Aspect, Unbreaking, Mending.

What that means in practice

The mace was built around falling. Its damage enchantments, Density and Breach, both work on the smash attack, and Smite covers undead. Sharpness simply isn't on its list. It also conflicts with Density and Breach, so even a command item would force that trade.

What to use instead

The mace uses Density, Breach or Smite instead of Sharpness. Density adds damage for every block you fall, which is the mace's whole point. On a fresh mace, Density V costs 5 levels and Breach IV costs 8 levels as a book.

Density more than makes up for it. Density V adds 2.5 damage for every block you fall, so a 10-block drop adds 25 damage. Sharpness V would never come close to that.

See Density and Breach, or the full mace build.

Why the game says no

Sharpness only goes on sword, axe and spear. A mace is not on that list. That matters because each enchantment's data file lists the items it supports, and the anvil checks that list. So the anvil gives no result, and the enchanting table never offers it.

No survival trick changes that. Combining two items, renaming or using a grindstone first all leave the list the same.

The best mace build instead

So a max mace has Wind Burst III, Density V, Fire Aspect II, Unbreaking III and Mending. In the cheapest order it costs 31 levels over 5 anvil steps, and no step goes above 10. Open it in the calculator.

The best mace enchantments page explains every book, and the mace enchant order shows each anvil step.

Where Sharpness goes

Sharpness goes on sword, axe and spear. The enchanting table offers it on the sword and spear, while the axe needs a book. Related questions: Sharpness on axe, Sharpness on trident, Sharpness on spear.

Commands and creative mode

The /enchant command refuses too, because a mace can't support Sharpness. Only /give with the enchantments component can attach it, which makes a command-only item that survival can never produce. The command generator writes the right syntax for your edition.

Java and Bedrock

Sharpness is weaker in Java: +3 at level V, against +6.25 in Bedrock. The anvil also differs: Java charges the full new level of every book. This page follows Java 26.3.

About Sharpness

Sharpness adds melee damage against every mob and player. Level I adds 1 damage and each level after that adds 0.5, for +3 damage at Sharpness V.

Sharpness has a max level of V. If you need a book, you can get it from the enchanting table, librarian villagers, gear worn by trial chamber mobs, trial chamber vaults and enchanted loot from fishing and chests. A librarian sells a Sharpness V book for 17 to 64 emeralds. Before you buy, read everything about Sharpness, including what each level does.

What else a mace can take

Instead, a mace can take Wind Burst, Smite, Bane of Arthropods, Density, Breach, Fire Aspect, Unbreaking and Mending. Then the best mace enchantments page ranks them and gives the max build.

Questions

Can you put Sharpness on a mace?

No. You can't put Sharpness on a mace in Java 26.3, not even with an anvil.

What else can Sharpness go on?

sword, axe and spear.

Why can't a mace have Sharpness?

The mace is not on Sharpness's item list. It uses Density, Breach or Smite as its damage enchantment instead.

What is the best mace damage enchantment?

Density for mobs, Breach for armored players and Smite for undead.

Can a mace get Sharpness from an enchanting table or a villager?

No. The enchanting table only offers enchantments an item supports. A villager's Sharpness book still can't go on a mace, because the anvil checks the same list.