How to Get Bernor’s Pickaxe in Crimson Desert
TL;DR
- Bernor’s Pickaxe is the best standard mining tool in Crimson Desert — it has a 20% chance to mine bonus ore on every hit.
- You must liberate Fort Manub by completing The Faceless faction quest chain, including the Masked Liberator boss fight.
- After liberation, find Bernor at Fort Manub’s Mineral Shop and gift him Gold Bars or Copper Pouches to hit +100 Trust.
- Buy the Bernor’s Pickaxe Blueprint from his shop for 5 Silver Coins, then read it from your inventory to learn the recipe.
- Craft the pickaxe at any Smithy using the materials listed below — Diamonds are the main bottleneck.
- Refine it at a Blacksmith to push the bonus ore chance even higher.
Bernor’s Pickaxe is one of those tools you’ll want to grab as soon as you can. Most pickaxes in Crimson Desert just mine ore. This one mines ore and gives you a 20% chance to pull extra ore on the same swing. Over a long farming session, that stacks up fast. It’s the mining version of Olvald’s Logging Axe — same idea, different resource.
The catch is that getting it requires a bit of work. You can’t just buy it from a shop you’ve already unlocked. You need to liberate a fort, find a hidden vendor, and build trust with him first. This guide covers every step.
How to Get Bernor’s Pickaxe in Crimson Desert
Here’s the full process from start to finish.
Step 1 — Liberate Fort Manub (The Faceless Faction Quest)
Fort Manub is in the Pywel region and is controlled by a group called the Faceless — masked bandits who have occupied the fort and surrounding villages. You need to clear them out entirely before Bernor will appear.
The quest chain is called The Faceless, and you find it under the Lords of Unclaimed Lands tab in your Faction Quest list. Here’s what the chain involves:
Liberate the villages surrounding Fort Manub. The Faceless have taken over several villages near the fort. Drive the masked bandits out of each one.
Destroy the bomb wagon in Duzhar. After clearing the villages, head to Duzhar and destroy the bomb wagon there. This cuts off reinforcements.
Defeat the Masked Liberator boss. This is the main fight that fully unlocks the fort. The Masked Liberator is a proper boss fight, so come geared. She’s not the hardest boss in the game, but don’t rush in underprepared. Once she falls, the Faceless lose their momentum and Fort Manub is liberated.
Tip: If you’re struggling with the Masked Liberator, check the advanced combat guide for tips on breaking through tough enemies. Understanding how to parry and counter also helps a lot here.
Once the fort is liberated, Bernor spawns at his Mineral Shop inside.
Step 2 — Reach +100 Trust with Bernor
Bernor won’t sell you the blueprint until you’ve built trust with him. You need exactly +100 Trust — the maximum.
The two fastest ways to do this are:
- Gift him Gold Bars. These raise Trust quickly but cost more to obtain.
- Gift him Copper Pouches (Copper Bags). These are the easier option. They drop from bandits and common enemies throughout the world. You likely already have some in your inventory. You don’t need to open or sort them — just hand them to Bernor directly through the gift interaction.
A full stack of Copper Pouches is usually enough to get from zero to maxed Trust in one sitting. Gold Bars are faster per gift but require farming Gold Ore or buying Gold Bars separately. Copper Pouches win on convenience.
How to gift items: Talk to Bernor, then choose the gift option from his dialogue menu. Select the pouches or bars from your inventory.
Step 3 — Buy the Bernor’s Pickaxe Blueprint
Once Bernor’s Trust bar hits +100, his shop unlocks a new item: the Bernor’s Pickaxe Blueprint.
Purchase it for 5 Silver Coins.
When you have the blueprint book in your inventory, open your inventory and use (read) it. This permanently unlocks the Bernor’s Pickaxe crafting recipe at every Smithy in the game — the same way it works with other recipe books in Crimson Desert. If you’re not sure how recipes work, see the guide on what to do with learned recipes.
Step 4 — Craft Bernor’s Pickaxe at a Smithy
Head to any Smithy and look under the Everyday Equipment section. Bernor’s Pickaxe will now appear as a craftable item.
Here’s the full crafting material list:
| Material | Notes |
|---|---|
| Refined Iron Ore | Smelted from Iron Ore at a Smithy |
| Diamonds | The main bottleneck — rare ore found in specific mining zones |
| Fine Timber | Logged from high-yield timber spots |
| Silver Coins | Standard currency for crafting costs |
Diamonds are the hardest material to source. There’s actually a diamond vein close to Fort Manub — once you leave the camp, look for a hole in the ground nearby, drop down inside, and mine the diamonds at the back wall. This saves you fast travelling elsewhere just to finish the crafting loop.
For more on sourcing diamonds and other rare ores, see the guide on how to get diamonds in Crimson Desert. You can also check the guide on how to get iron ore and how to get gold ore for the general mining loop.
Bernor’s Pickaxe Stats and Perks
| Stat / Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Tool Type | Normal Pickaxe |
| Key Passive | Expert Mining — 20% chance to mine bonus ore per hit |
| Max Refinement | +10 |
| Attack at +10 | 12 |
| Blueprint Cost | 5 Silver Coins |
| Vendor | Bernor — Fort Manub Mineral Shop |
| Trust Required | +100 (max) |
The Expert Mining passive is what makes this pickaxe worth the effort. A 20% bonus ore chance doesn’t sound massive, but across a full farming run it means you’re effectively getting free extra ore on roughly one in five swings. That adds up quickly when you’re farming iron ore, copper ore, gold ore, or silver ore for crafting and upgrading your equipment.
The description puts it well: it was designed to absorb shock and reduce fatigue, and its mining efficiency is extremely high. In game terms, ore nodes break faster and the bonus drop mechanic compounds the more you mine.
How to Refine Bernor’s Pickaxe
After crafting, you can take Bernor’s Pickaxe to any Blacksmith and refine it using the Refinement System. Refinement runs from +0 to +10. Each upgrade level requires ores and crafting components. The bonus ore chance from Expert Mining increases as you refine higher.
If you need help with the refinement process in general, see the how to reinforce equipment guide.
Is Bernor’s Pickaxe Worth It?
Yes — without question. It’s the best standard mining tool available before endgame alternatives like the Mining Knuckledrill unlock later in the story (roughly after Chapter 11). If you’re doing any amount of ore farming for crafting Aeserion weapons, building up your camp, or sourcing materials for equipment upgrades, you want this in your loadout.
The Trust-building step is the only grind, and Copper Pouches make it quick. The rest — completing the faction quest and buying the blueprint — flows naturally from playing through Pywel.
FAQ — Bernor’s Pickaxe in Crimson Desert
Where is Bernor in Crimson Desert?
Bernor is the Mineral Shop vendor at Fort Manub. He only appears after you liberate the fort by completing The Faceless faction quest chain. Before liberation, the fort is controlled by the Faceless bandits and Bernor is not accessible.
How do I liberate Fort Manub in Crimson Desert?
Open your Faction Quest list under the Lords of Unclaimed Lands tab and find The Faceless quest chain. You need to liberate the villages surrounding Fort Manub, destroy the bomb wagon in Duzhar, and defeat the Masked Liberator boss. Completing all of these fully liberates the fort.
What gifts raise Bernor’s Trust fastest in Crimson Desert?
Copper Pouches (Copper Bags) are the most efficient option. They drop from bandits and common enemies, so you likely already have some. Hand them directly to Bernor through the gift dialogue. Gold Bars also work but require more effort to obtain. Either way, one good stack is usually enough to max his Trust to +100.
How much does the Bernor’s Pickaxe Blueprint cost?
The blueprint costs 5 Silver Coins from Bernor’s shop. You can only buy it after reaching +100 Trust with him. Once purchased, read it from your inventory to permanently unlock the crafting recipe at all Smithies.
What materials do I need to craft Bernor’s Pickaxe?
You need Refined Iron Ore, Diamonds, Fine Timber, and Silver Coins. Diamonds are the hardest to source — there’s a convenient diamond vein near Fort Manub itself if you look for the hole in the ground just outside the camp.
Can you refine Bernor’s Pickaxe?
Yes. Take it to any Blacksmith and use the Refinement System to upgrade it from +0 to +10. Higher refinement levels increase the tool’s Attack stat and improve the Expert Mining bonus ore chance. Refinement requires ores and other crafting materials at each level.
For more Crimson Desert guides, visit the Crimson Desert guide hub or check out the full Crimson Desert guides page.
You can get Crimson Desert on PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation, and Xbox. For more about the game, visit the official Crimson Desert website.
