I don't think its a good business plan to design weapons that are effective and fragile. Both durability and efficacy will be important for repeat customers.
As for starter soulbound tools -- make it so you CAN NOT gain skill on them. Darkfall figured this out a little too late -- at launch, people would take their soulbound starter staves and cast magic into nothing for hours to get skill, and they would swing their soulbound starter swords on people and get maxed weapon mastery.
Anything people start with, respawn with, and can't break, trade, or loot, should NEVER get skill from using them. They should be for the sole purpose of getting to the point that they can make good tools or products with.