Gathering tools
Why not just use the 3 charge pick until it breaks? I actually run around with 3 copies of each gathering tool on each of my characters, since I frequently run out of charges and hate having to run back to a shopkeeper to buy another one.
You can’t swap it in combat so if a mob attacks you cough*Malchor’s Leap, Cursed Shore*cough, your only option is to either kill it [and very soon 5+ other that spawn on top of your head], roll a thief with stealth, or run away. Two options are just a waste of time.