Hopper filters: sort items without redstone

Every hopper gets a filter slot. Put one item in, and the hopper only accepts that item: a row of filtered hoppers makes a full item sorter, no redstone needed, so no PhD in redstone either.

Download .jar CurseForge

Part of Cassonade, a free vanilla+ mod for Minecraft 26.3 (Fabric)

Hopper window with a stone block in its filter slot, so only stone goes through

How it works

Item sorters without the redstone.

Every hopper gets a filter slot: put one item in, and the hopper only accepts that item.
A bundle or a shulker box in the filter slot lets through every item it holds. An empty one filters bundles or shulker boxes, like any other item.
The filter compares the item, not its enchantments or name.
A row of hoppers with filtered hoppers underneath makes a full item sorter.
Speed, redstone locking and comparators stay vanilla.
Filtered hoppers are recognizable by the iron grate inside.

Questions

How do I build an item sorter with filtered hoppers?

Send your items along a line of hoppers. Under each hopper of the line, place a filtered hopper leading into a chest: each one pulls out only its item, and the rest carries on down the line.

Can one hopper filter several items?

Yes: put a bundle or a shulker box holding those items in the filter slot, and every item inside it goes through.

Does the filter care about enchantments or names?

No, it compares the item only: any diamond sword goes through a diamond sword filter, enchanted or renamed.

Does it break my redstone builds?

No. Without a filter, a hopper works exactly as in vanilla, and speed, redstone locking and comparators never change.