In New World MMO, you have two weapon slots and you should make use of both of them. It means that you can make use of the abilities and bonuses from each weapon's skill tree as you level them up. The hatchet is a solid choice, thanks to its Berserk Mode, which increases your damage and movement speed and grants a passive healing effect. The second weapon you choose will come down to personal preference, but I suggest you get first, then you can choose any weapon you want.
For most MMORPG players, gold coins in the game are never a problem to worry about. They can sell various unwanted items and equipment to the store in exchange for some money. But this is not the case in New World. There are no shops and merchants in the game, and players can only trade through Trading Post. This means that if you want to get better equipment, you can only make it yourself or get it from other players. Of course, there is another way, which is to buy some from Newworldcoins. This is the best solution for most players, not only can save time, but also save money.