Originally posted by rexpiscator:

As your Skill level goes up and you use better/durable pickaxes, you don't have to strike as many times to produce the resource/loot. Tin smashes in 1 strike, etc...

Aye, but does anyone actually mine copper, once iron is available? Is there a reason to?

When you first start mining, you've got an antler tied to a bundle of sticks. It takes quite a few swings to break a single voxel of copper... and then it might not even drop anything at all.

Even after you upgrade to a bronze pick, it still takes quite a few swings to knock off a chunk of copper deposit... which still may or may not drop anything.