Seeing how hard weapons hit for, and how long it takes for health to regenerate, sparring to increase weapon skill doesn't seem to be a viable option to gain skill in weapons. So most people just terraform for levels and dump skill points into their weapon skill... obvious this shows how broken leveling weapon skills is.

I suggest that a cross-craft recipe be added that would give us a target dummy to practice our skills against. Basketweavers could make the stuffing, tailors make the dummy, maybe the post it hangs on is from woodworking and a few metal pieces scavenged or from junk. Give a maximum number of whacks before it's destroyed to prevent overuse.

The only thing I wouldn't be sure of is how to place it. Either it would be an arch recipe and built similarly, or it would be dropped like bins and could be made private so only you can use it, or tribal etc. just like bins.

Limiting skill gain on the dummies could be done, but if it takes enough time to make each dummy and skill gain at higher weapon skill levels takes a lot of hits then it will regulate itself.

The idea could be expanded to include offensive spinning dummies made of wood that are used to practice dodge/parry and of course practice targets later on when ranged combat is implemented.