Key Takeaway
You must unlock the DIY recipes to craft Gold Tools, as they cannot be purchased. Each Gold Tool has a different task required to unlock its recipe.
Gold Tools in Animal Crossing: New Horizons have higher durability and sell for more Bells, so you’ll want to know how to get these to optimize the time you spend on catching Fish, watering Plants, and more.
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Benefits of Gold Tools
Gold Tools are most useful because of their higher durability. So, while other Tools may break more quickly, your Gold Tools should last longer. This makes chopping Wood, watering Plants, fishing, digging, catching, and shooting down balloons much less of a nuisance.
Gold Tools also sell for more than other Tools. However, considering the amount of work required to unlock the Gold Tools, we don’t recommend this path if you’re in it for the Bells.
How to Get Gold Tools
There isn’t a single way to get each of the Gold Tools in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. In fact, each Tool has different requirements that you’ll need to follow. You cannot unlock the recipe for these Gold Tools without following the process for each one first. Note also that these Gold Tools are not available for purchase, so you must unlock the recipes to craft them.
How to Get a Golden Axe
via Nookipedia
The Golden Axe has 200 uses and sells for 10,655 Bells. To unlock the recipe for a Golden Axe, you will need to break 100 Axes. Luckily, you can break 100 of any type of Axe. Your best bet is to break a bunch of Flimsy Axes, as they have the lowest durability, so they will break the quickest.
Where to Get Golden Axe Recipe
Once you’ve broken your 100 Axes, you will unlock the recipe for a Golden Axe. Unlike with other recipes, you don’t need to pick this up or learn it from someone. Upon breaking the 100 Axes, your character will have an enlightening moment, and they will simply learn the recipe for a Golden Axe on the spot.
How to Craft a Golden Axe
The recipe for crafting a Golden Axe is simple: one Gold Nugget and one Axe. However, Gold Nuggets are not the easiest to find. You cannot buy a Gold Nugget from the store, so you’ll need to find one by hitting rocks. Every once in a great while, a Gold Nugget will drop from Rock instead of Stone, Iron, or Clay.
To craft the Axe that you’ll need for this recipe, you need one Flimsy Axe, three Wood, and one Iron Nugget. Once you have your Axe and Gold Nugget, you can craft the Golden Axe at any Work Bench.
How to Get a Golden Fishing Rod
via Nookipedia
The Golden Fishing Rod has 90 uses and sells for 10,400 Bells. This one will be a bit more difficult to obtain. To learn the DIY recipe for a Golden Fishing Rod, you will need to catch every single type of fish in Animal Crossing: New Horizons at least once. To keep track of your progress, use your Critterpedia app on your NookPhone. This will display how many fish you still have left to catch.
Where to Get Golden Fishing Rod Recipe
Unlike with the Golden Axe, you will not automatically learn the recipe for the Golden Fishing Rod upon catching every fish. Instead, the recipe will be mailed to you the day after you’ve caught the final fish. Make sure to check your mailbox for the recipe.
How to Craft a Golden Fishing Rod
To craft a Golden Fishing Rod, you will need one Gold Nugget and one Fishing Rod. Gold Nuggets can only be found through hitting rocks, though they are rare. You can craft the Fishing Rod with one Iron Nugget and one Flimsy Fishing Rod. The Golden Fishing Rod can then be crafted at any Work Bench.
How to Get a Golden Net
via Nookipedia
The Golden Net has 90 uses and sells for 10,675 Bells. You will need to do essentially the same process for the Golden Net as you did with the Golden Fishing Rod—this time with Bugs instead of Fish. To get the Golden Net recipe, you will need to catch every type of Bug in the game at least once. You can use your Critterpedia app to keep track of which Bugs you still have left to catch.
Where to Get Golden Net Recipe
Like with the Golden Fishing Rod, the recipe for a Golden Net will be mailed to you the day after you catch your last required Bug. Be sure to check your mailbox the day after you complete your task.
How to Craft a Golden Net
A Golden Net requires one Gold Nugget and one Net to craft. Again, you will likely need to spend a fair amount of time hitting rocks for your Gold Nugget, as they don’t drop often. To get a Net, you can craft one with one Iron Nugget and one Flimsy Net. The Golden Net can then be crafted at any Work Bench.
How to Get a Golden Slingshot
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The Golden Slingshot has 60 uses and can be sold for 10,300 Bells. To unlock the recipe for a Golden Slingshot, you must simply shoot down 300 balloons with a normal Slingshot.
Where to Get Golden Slingshot Recipe
This time, your recipe will not be coming in the mail. After you’ve shot down your 300 balloons, you will need to wait for the next day. Once you’ve waited until the next day, keep an eye out for a golden balloon floating through the sky with a gift box attached to it. Shoot down this golden balloon, and the recipe for a Golden Slingshot will be inside.
How to Craft a Golden Slingshot
To craft a Golden Slingshot, you will need one Gold Nugget and one Slingshot. The Gold Nuggets will drop every once in a great while from hitting rocks, and a Slingshot can be crafted with five pieces of Hardwood. Alternatively, you can also buy a Slingshot in Nook’s Cranny for 900 Bells. The Golden Slingshot can then be crafted at any Work Bench.
How to Get a Golden Shovel
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The Golden Shovel has 200 uses and sells for 10,675 Bells. Obtaining the Golden Shovel is one of the more difficult Golden Tools to get. To unlock the recipe for the Golden Shovel, you will need to help Gulliver more than 30 times. Gulliver is a bird who washes up on your island at random, so you will need to keep waiting days until he appears. He will have you look for the missing parts to his transmission device that are buried in the sand around your island. After 30 times of finding these pieces for him, the recipe for a Golden Shovel will be unlocked.
Where to Get Golden Shovel Recipe
After the 30th time you’ve helped Gulliver, he will mail you the DIY recipe for the Golden Shovel. This will not show up in your mailbox until the day after the 30th time you’ve helped him, so you will need to wait for it to appear.
How to Craft a Golden Shovel
The recipe for the Golden Shovel is one Gold Nugget and one Shovel. As always, the Gold Nugget can be found occasionally through hitting rocks on your island. You can craft a Shovel with one Iron Nugget and one Flimsy Shovel. After you’ve gotten these materials, you can craft your Golden Shovel at any Work Bench.
How to Get a Golden Watering Can
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The Golden Watering Can has 180 uses and can be sold for 10,675 Bells. The Golden Watering Can is by far the most difficult Golden Tool to obtain. To get the recipe for it, you must raise your island’s rating to five stars. To get your island up to a five-star rating, you will need to place Outdoor Furniture, upgrade your facilities, plants more Flowers, plant more Trees, add more Villagers, add Bridges and Slopes, add Fencing, and pluck Weeds. You can talk to Isabelle periodically to check where the rating of your island is at.
Where to Get Golden Watering Can Recipe
When you talk to Isabelle to check your island rating, she will automatically give you the recipe for the Golden Watering Can if your island has hit five stars.
How to Craft a Golden Watering Can
To craft a Golden Watering Can, you will need one Gold Nugget and one Watering Can. The Gold Nugget can eventually be obtained through hitting rocks. You can craft the Watering Can with one Iron Nugget and one Flimsy Watering Can. Once you have these, you can craft the Golden Watering Can at any Work Bench.
