The dragon pickaxe is the second-strongest and second-fastest pickaxe in the game, tied with the 3rd age pickaxe and behind only the crystal pickaxe. You need 60 Attack to wield it and 61 Mining to mine with it, though its special attack boosts Mining by 3 so you can start swinging it at 58 Mining. It's a 5-tick tool that gives a roughly 5.88% faster overall mining speed than a rune pickaxe. Dropped by the King Black Dragon, Kalphite Queen and several Wilderness bosses, it trades around 600K gp.
Equipment bonuses
As a weapon-slot pickaxe its combat numbers are modest — it's a mining tool first. It carries +38 stab attack, +32 crush attack and +42 melee strength, with a 5-tick attack speed (one hit every 3.0 seconds).
Attack bonuses
Defence bonuses
Other bonuses
The only requirement to wield it is 60 Attack; the +42 strength bonus means it can serve as an emergency melee weapon, but its real value is as the second-best pickaxe in OSRS.
Grand Exchange price history
How to get the dragon pickaxe
The dragon pickaxe is most commonly bought straight from the Grand Exchange for around 600K gp, but it has several drop sources for ironmen and hunters:
- Kalphite Queen — 1/400
- King Black Dragon — 1/1,000 (raised from 1/1,500 in the 2023 Wilderness Boss Rework)
- Chaos Elemental, Callisto, Vet'ion and Venenatis — 1/256 each
- Artio, Calvar'ion and Spindel (the solo Wilderness boss variants) — 1/358 each
You can also repair a broken dragon pickaxe — obtained from the Volcanic Mine — by taking it to Nurmof along with 2,500,000 gp. See the boss gear finder to plan a trip to any of these drop sources.
Special attack: Rock Knocker
The dragon pickaxe's special attack, Rock Knocker, temporarily boosts your Mining level by 3 and consumes 100% special attack energy (you need 60 Attack to use it). The boost degrades every 60 seconds, returning your Mining to normal after 3 minutes.
This lets you mine rocks above your base level — for example reaching 58 Mining to start mining with the pickaxe, or hitting a temporary requirement — and slightly increases your chance of a successful roll. Paired with the Lightbearer ring (which regenerates spec energy twice as fast) you can consistently mine rocks 1–2 levels above base. Note that boosting past 99 does nothing, so the spec gives diminishing returns at 97–98 and no value at 99.
Dragon pickaxe FAQ
What level do you need for the dragon pickaxe?
You need 60 Attack to wield it and 61 Mining to mine with it. Because its special attack boosts Mining by 3, you can effectively start mining with it at 58 Mining.
How do you get the dragon pickaxe?
Buy it on the Grand Exchange for around 600K, or get it as a drop from the Kalphite Queen (1/400), King Black Dragon (1/1,000), Chaos Elemental / Callisto / Vet'ion / Venenatis (1/256), or Artio / Calvar'ion / Spindel (1/358). A broken version from the Volcanic Mine can be repaired by Nurmof for 2.5M gp.
What is the dragon pickaxe's special attack?
Its special, Rock Knocker, boosts your Mining level by 3 for 3 minutes and uses 100% special attack energy. It's used to meet a Mining requirement above your base level or to slightly raise your mining success chance.
Is the dragon pickaxe the best pickaxe in OSRS?
No — it's the second-best. The crystal pickaxe (made by upgrading a dragon pickaxe with crystal shards) is faster, and the dragon pickaxe ties with the 3rd age pickaxe for second place. The dragon pickaxe is about 5.88% faster overall than a rune pickaxe.
How much is a dragon pickaxe worth?
It trades for roughly 600K gp on the Grand Exchange. Check the live price and history in the chart above.
Can you upgrade the dragon pickaxe?
Yes. Combine it with a smouldering stone (85 Smithing) to make an infernal pickaxe that burns ores for Smithing XP, or with 120 crystal shards and a crystal tool seed (76 Smithing & Crafting) to make a crystal pickaxe. The infernal conversion cannot be undone.
Update history
Nurmof will now make a Dragon pickaxe when presented with 2,500,000 GP and a broken Dragon pickaxe obtained from the Volcanic Mine. The Kalphite Queen now drops the Dragon pickaxe at 1/400, and the King Black Dragon's drop rate was increased from 1/1,500 to 1/1,000.
The inventory model of the dragon pickaxe was slightly adjusted to be consistent with all other pickaxes.
The dragon pickaxe special attack animation no longer activates when you don't have enough energy.
The King Black Dragon and Chaos Elemental had their drop tables improved, both gaining a chance to drop the dragon pickaxe.
Source: OSRS Wiki — Dragon pickaxe (Changes).
