In this current version of the game the safety of newbie/beginners is in danger despite being able to produce basic 'primitive' tools/weapons with limited resources. Not only do these weapons do very little damage unless you know which attack to use with them (e.g., over-your-head damage with primitive shovel doing 10, but good luck having a newbie reproduce that strike in battle without panicking and flailing wildly), but the difference in effectiveness to hit someone from these primitive weapons to the first 'real' weapon made, pitchforks is huge.
Basically once you hit pitchforks you're golden, but skilling up to it is not an obvious task to beginners and are under the assumption having a primitive axe or knife is enough to protect their belongings, when they might have already started doing things like herbalism which is a very difficult skill tree to undertake if you're naive to how this game currently works. Imagine trying to be a budding herbalist trying to figure out recipes and someone experienced comes at you with a pitchfork, you're screwed and you wouldn't know any better because the knife does so little damage.
Of course, the other side to this is people will just run around with knives trying to stab people if it becomes more 'easy' to do damage, but to me as it stands it's way too easy for bandits to attack and be pretty much defenseless outside of pressing '5' and booking it.
I am a PvPer, but within my first two days of playing I was attacked on my village with my friends by people in full armor and swords and was helpless, for an alpha where people are trying to play and learn I think it's absurd someone can 1v4 someone despite people being 'armed' with tools. What do you guys think about this?