Your best bet for keeping weapons in good shape starts with the blunt ones like baseball bats, since they'll last way longer than sharp weapons in the early game. Checking that durability meter in the bottom left is super important, and you'll definitely want to grab the field repairs skill first thing to fix stuff with scrap when needed.

The smart play is keeping an eye on your weapon condition before heading into bigger fights, and switching to fresh weapons you find instead of burning through scrap on repairs. If you're running low on good weapons, try mixing in some stealth takedowns or using your guns to save the melee stuff for when you really need it. Later on, you'll get access to way better crafted weapons that hold up longer in fights, which makes everything easier to manage.

Something interesting about repairs - fixing weapons when they're only slightly damaged uses less scrap than waiting till they're almost broken, so stay on top of maintenance when you can. Skills like hard hitter and home run help stretch out durability even more once you've got some points to spend.