Shears are such a versatile little tool to have around, especially when the caves are not abundant.
1. Leather working. I just turned 8 pieces of accumulated leather into a tunic and helmet with more on the way. Having a full suit of armor makes those dreadful first dives a lot more comfortable, and the fashion is a big mental health booster.
2. Hunting. Grass clippings can attract animals, which means you can lure them into traps and pits. Rather than setting the animals fleeing in every direction during hunting trips, keeping them together in a basin or valley or 2-deep pit makes keeping the meat stocked so much easier.
3. Farming. You are going to need one of these for hemp eventually, and the 2 iron cost means that extra ingot can be spent on a hoe. During HC spawns, this could lead to getting hemp and pumpkins etc going ASAP!
4. Leaves! Yep, you can build a treehouse or fill in the gaps in your roof with foliage. It is surprisingly handy to have some leaf blocks on hand! Just don't let them catch on fire.
Now, other oddball tools are good too. This past year, the power of the bucket was discovered. If you are playing a more nomadic or mobile lifestyle, then having access to milk every now and then is an important supplement and can be used to build fat. I have been making hoes recently as well to get pumpkins going. I love growing pumpkins, both for the seeds and the harvest festival building blocks.
What iron tools do you like? I am not necessarily asking what the best *first * iron tool is, but that is also a timeless question that never gets old.
