lotta choices....I love monks, but I haven't really dug into pros and cons (aside from obvious like flurry of blows application) first time I played monk I kept quarterstaff til temple then went straight unarmed, second time I went spiked chain route but that was meh. Currently I'm using the rake, and tbh I'm really digging it. Got a masterwork one I'll enchant later. I'd try monk spade but do I really wanna waste a feat? Same with other weapons that require exotic. Shovel I think would be hilarious. What are people's thoughts on the other oriental weapons?
Recently, I've played monks quite a bit. I think the staff by far is the best weapon a monk can use. First, you can use the weapon and the monk's Flurry of Blows ability with it. Masterwork staffs are very easy to pick up in the game, and there is a Staff of Striking on the 4th level of the Temple. And if you have a monk with good strength, you get the extra damage bonus when using two handed. Kama I think would be another good one. Again, usable with the Flurry of Blows, and I believe you can pick up masterwork ones in Nulb. But I've never really used them as I just go with a staff. The giant cleaver is usable by monks (hand ax proficiency), and there are a few nice ones in the game. If you give monks the tender loving care you do with tank fighters, monks are quite formidable in hand to hand fighting.
I love when my human monk and half orc barbarian tear it up all around the battlefield. They've bailed the party out many times with their mobility.
Just remember to Enchant the Staff\kama\Great cleaver. Speed is a good one as is Axiomatic as well as shock or shocking burst as very few opponents are resistant to electric attacks BTW: if using templeplus+ you can multi-class as a NG\NE\N Monk then barbarian and the movement bonuses stack
