Updated 25 October 2026. Facts on this page come from minecraft.wiki, minecraft.net and the live Artemis PvP server; sources are listed at the bottom.
Curse of Binding and Curse of Vanishing in Minecraft
Minecraft has two curses. Curse of Binding stops you taking an armor piece off until you die or it breaks; Curse of Vanishing makes an item disappear instead of dropping when you die. Neither can be removed with a grindstone. They come only from structure loot, fishing, librarian trading and raid drops (Bedrock), never the enchanting table,.
What does Curse of Binding do?
A bound item cannot leave its armor slot except in Creative mode, when you die, or when it breaks. On items without durability, such as a carved pumpkin or mob head, only death removes it, which in Hardcore means never. Mobs obey it too: a zombie in a bound helmet keeps it. Pranks with a bound pumpkin are a classic.
What does Curse of Vanishing do?
When you die holding a vanishing item, it is deleted instead of dropped. Dropping it yourself or storing it first keeps it. It does not trigger while the item is in a shulker box or bundle, or when keep inventory is on. See keep inventory.
Can you remove a curse?
Almost never: grindstones remove every enchantment except curses, and anvils cannot take them off. The one exception is a cursed block item such as a carved pumpkin or mob head, which loses the curse when it is placed and broken again. Avoid combining cursed books with good gear. See grindstones and anvils.
Where do cursed items come from?
Treasure-enchanted loot in structure chests, fishing treasure, librarian trades and Bedrock raid drops can roll curses, and some loot gear comes pre-cursed. Every enchantment: every enchantment.
Are there custom enchants on ArtemisPvP?
Frequently asked questions
Can a grindstone remove curses?
No. Grindstones remove all enchantments except curses.
Does Curse of Vanishing work with keep inventory?
No, the item is kept when keep inventory is on.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.