I highly recommend using BROMAX's Haphazard Battle with this mod for a combat experience like no other

BROMAX's Many Melees adds 37 new melee weapons to the game:

Shortsword
Longsword
Broadsword
Sabre
Rapier
Greatsword
Zweihander
Katana
Flamberge
Executioner's Sword
Falchion
Dagger
Hunter's Knife
Spear
Trident
Halberd
Glaive
Lance
Mace
Warhammer
Hammer
Flail
Greathammer
Handaxe
Battleaxe
Cleaver
Lumberaxe
Scythe
Sickle
Gauntlets
Claw
Nunchaku
Quarterstaff
Whip
Staff
Sai
Twinblades

Disclaimer: Spartan Weaponry is incompatible with this mod; breaks the rendering

*All iron weapons on display above

Each weapon has a unique crafting recipe using at least a block of it's material which sounds expensive and it is; but it's worth it! They have high durabilities and something called traits! Traits are shown in the tooltips and give weapons unique properties depending on which they have:

Armour peircing: reduces armour damage reduction

Two-handed: gives a damage boost if you have an empty offhand

Hard strike: reduces opponent's movement speed after hit

Rageful: finishes off mobs anyway even if they have higher HP than the weapon's damage

Weapons in this mod usually have 1-3 traits depending on the kind. There are multiple levels of them that are more powerful the higher the trait level. For example, if a weapon has armour peircing 1 and another has armour peircing 2, the weapon with armour peircing 2 will be more effective against armoured opponents.