An amazing weapon, is the miltary hammer (can't remember the exact name, it looks like a pick, and deals blunt damage) It is one of the most effective weapons in the game against knights! I always used to have to spend hours nicking away at swadian knights with a cutting weapon, circling round and round and round, dealing tiny damage except for the odd good hit. With military hammers thingys, you can deal high damage, almst as much as a normal hit with a sword to a non-armoured enemy, but in this case to a fully armoured knight! I always use these as one of my main weapons, unless I am a specific build in which I only use certain types, or I'm a foot soldier.
As for Mauls... meh they're very slow, but with timing they can deal heavy damage.
Anyway, you get what I'm saying, one handed military warhammers ftw, only disadvantage is their reach, and that's easily overcome!