...everything looks like a nail.
Joe Warrior wanders around Istaria with a carpentry hammer in his hand and gets jumped by some mob. He oughtta be able to swing that hammer at at least half his 1hc value, but he can't. Many tools ought to be useable as emergency weapons against many mobs. (granted, a sewing needle shouldn't be one of them)
Wood axe, mining pick, fitting mallet...these things seem like they could be used to do some damage.
Perhaps they should only be useful against mobs that they are designed to work against...like wood axes and treants.