Well I'm only up to The end of Leviathan and I plan to make my characters as so

Vaan: Uses daggers, swords and blades with shields
Penelo: Uses Daggers, Bows & Arrows, and staves
Basch: Uses swords, and axes with shields
Fran: Uses staves, javelin, Bows and Arrows
Balthier: Just guns
Ashe: Swords with shields

I looked in my strategy guide and they sem to classify, poles, staves, and rods seperately, they must have their own differences.

Swords, ninja swords, and blades aare also seperated along with hammers, maces, and axes seperated what's the difference between all of them?