Has any of those weapons been nerfed in last 12 months. Because I've played with all of them and I must say that pitchfork is best starting weapon by far.
Maybe it's worse in duels and against shielders than Practice Longsword but it's better for everything else, a lot better.
It's basically like awplike, a bit slower, with a lot less damage (awlpike has ridiculous damage anyways). With enough PS you won't glance, and your hits will hurt.
Against shielders you can use kick or dance around them.
It can stop horses, it has paulstagger which allowed me once to kill player with 80 body armor and 85 HP. I stabbed him for full two minutes, that's true, but I've managed to synchronize those stabs and keep him stunlocked. Was pretty funny thing to see.
Practice Longsword, on the other had, have no special abilities. Just blunt damage which is low and sux against low armoured opponents.
Starting one handed weapons are crap, club and cudgel are somewhat useful but I wouldn't compare them with 2H/polearms. And I'm talking about 1h no shield, with shield both are useless because peasant shields are useless.
Poll