How To Get TM01 Hone Claws in Pokémon Black & White

Sage Zinzolin inside cold storage in Driftveil City (Pokémon Black)

You get TM01 Hone Claws from Sage Zinzolin in Driftveil City. But first you have to beat the Elite Four and N, so this TM is only obtainable in the post-game.

Sage Zinzolin can be found inside the Cold Storage section of Driftveil City. The Sage is inside of a freight container at the end of Cold Storage’s ice maze.

He’s also one of 6 Sages that you’re tasked with finding after the main journey of Black/White has been finished.

TM01 Hone Claws Location (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Starting at the Driftveil City Pokémon Center, head south through the city.

Head south from the Driftveil City Pokémon Center. / Pokémon Black and White
Head south from the Driftveil City Pokémon Center.

Step 2: Continue south past the city’s Market, which is the large gray building on the left.

Continue south past the Driftveil City Market. / Pokémon Black and White
Continue south past the Driftveil City Market.

Step 3: After passing the Market, keep south past the white picket fence.

Keep south past the white fence. / Pokémon Black and White
Keep south past the white fence.

Step 4: Past the white fence is a bridge. Continue south onto the bridge to reach Cold Storage.

Continue south on the bridge to reach Cold Storage. / Pokémon Black and White
Continue south on the bridge to reach Cold Storage.

Step 5: From the end of the bridge, turn to the left-hand side and keep going south past the freight containers.

Keep south past the freight containers. / Pokémon Black and White
Keep south past the freight containers.

Step 6: Continue south past the vending machine on your left, heading towards the tall grass.

Keep south past the vending machine towards the tall grass. / Pokémon Black and White
Keep south past the vending machine towards the tall grass.

Step 7: Follow the road southwest alongside the tall grass. Then enter the building at the end of the road.

Enter the building at the end of the road. / Pokémon Black and White
Enter the building at the end of the road.

Step 8: Upon entering the building, you’ll see a path of ice straight ahead. Just walk north across the ice.

Walk north across the ice patch. / Pokémon Black and White
Walk north across the ice patch.

Step 9: The ice will carry you to a green freight container straight ahead. From here, turn right and slide east across the ice.

Head east across the ice after reaching the green freight container. / Pokémon Black and White
Head east across the ice after reaching the green freight container.

Step 10: After reaching the floor to the right of the first ice patch, continue east across the next patch.

Keep east across the next ice patch. / Pokémon Black and White
Keep east across the next ice patch.

Step 11: The second ice patch will carry you to another area of regular flooring.

Once you’re in the next area, turn north and climb up the stairs to the building’s second level.

Climb the stairs to the building’s second level. / Pokémon Black and White
Climb the stairs to the building’s second level.

Step 12: From the top of these stairs, walk east across the ice to reach the wall straight ahead.

Slide east across the ice to reach the wall. / Pokémon Black and White
Slide east across the ice to reach the wall.

Step 13: After stopping at the wall, carefully turn north and slide to the next block of ice.

Slide to the block of ice north of the wall. / Pokémon Black and White
Slide to the block of ice north of the wall.

Step 14: Now stopped at this ice block, turn left and slide to the next block.

Slide to the next block of ice to the left. / Pokémon Black and White
Slide to the next block of ice to the left.

Step 15: From this second ice block, turn south and slide across the ice.

Slide south across the ice. / Pokémon Black and White
Slide south across the ice.

Step 16: Sliding down south will lead you to a series of connected freight containers. Climb the stairs directly ahead (you’ll see the stairs on some brown freight containers).

Climb the stairs south of the ice. / Pokémon Black and White
Climb the stairs south of the ice.

Step 17: From the top of these stairs, continue south and climb down the next set of stairs.

Continue south and climb down the next set of stairs. / Pokémon Black and White
Continue south and climb down the next set of stairs.

Step 18: At the bottom of this second staircase is another small set of stairs. Climb down to reach the first floor of the building.

Climb down the small set of stairs to reach the first floor. / Pokémon Black and White
Climb down the small set of stairs to reach the first floor.

Step 19: Now on the first floor, head north towards the next patch of ice.

Head northwest towards the next patch of ice. / Pokémon Black and White
Head northwest towards the next patch of ice.

Step 20: Continue north across the patch of ice straight ahead.

Slide north across the patch of ice ahead. / Pokémon Black and White
Slide north across the patch of ice ahead.

Step 21: The floor above the ice patch is safe to walk across. So once it drops you off on the floor, head up a bit and then turn west to go past the NPC ahead.

Head west past the NPC ahead. / Pokémon Black and White
Head west past the NPC ahead.

Step 22: Continue west and you’ll quickly see a set of stairs. But instead of climbing the stairs, turn south from here and enter the open freight container.

Enter the open freight container to the south. / Pokémon Black and White
Enter the open freight container to the south.

Step 23: Sage Zinzolin is waiting inside this freight container.

Sage Zinzolin inside the open freight container. / Pokémon Black and White
Sage Zinzolin inside the open freight container.

Step 24: Speak to him and after some brief dialogue, Sage Zinzolin will give you TM01 Hone Claws.

Getting TM01 Hone Claws from Sage Zinzolin. / Pokémon Black and White
Getting TM 01 Hone Claws from Sage Zinzolin.

Hone Claws Details + Uses

In-game details for TM01 Hone Claws. / Pokémon Black and White
In-game details for TM01 Hone Claws.
Hone Claws Move Details
Type Dark
Category Status
Power
Accuracy
PP 15

Hone Claws is a Dark-type status move that raises the user’s Attack and Accuracy stat by one stage.

The way most stat-modification moves are designed, Hone Claws should really only be used once or twice to avoid taking too many turns without inflicting damage.

One use of Hone Claws will increase any move with a 75% Accuracy rating (or higher) to nearly 100%. Any consecutive uses will really only affect the user’s base Attack, so past that point it’s not worth the wasted turns.

Here’s a quick look at how stage multiplication works for the Attack stat:

Stage Stat modifier
1 x1.5
2 x2
3 x2.5
4 x3
5 x3.5
6 x4

Hone Claws best works with a strong Physical attacker that uses moves in need of an Accuracy boost. Unfortunately, most of the high power/low accuracy moves are Special, not Physical – such as Blizzard, Thunder, and Fire Blast.

With that said, there are some Pokémon that can use the accuracy boost & attack boost effectively.

Durant is by far the best candidate for teaching Hone Claws. It has a strong base Attack and can also have the ability Hustle. This ability increases the power of Physical attacks by 150%, but lowers their Accuracy to 80%.

But with Hone Claws, these attacks will see an even greater boost in damage, and will never miss.

If you decide to use Hone Claws with Durant, be sure to also utilize strong Physical moves alongside it – such as Stone Edge, X-Scissor, and Crunch.

Bobby Agnese

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Bobby is an experienced writer who is passionate about video games, fantasy books, and anything Star Wars-related. His first Pokémon game was FireRed which he still plays today. When he isn’t writing or gaming, Bobby can be found at his local brewery or Mexican food spot.

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