I resisted the urge to post in the fall because Keith said everything I would have; I figured he could catch hell for me.
Some day, aikido people who use weapons will be called to answer for their skill. When that day comes, I think it valuable to be prepared to answer for what you do and why you do it. The problem is when you change your answer, depending to whom you are answering. If you tell that doe-eyed newbie tales of yore about aikido's history on the battlefield and the prominent role of weapons in aikido, you should expect to spin the same yarn for the koryu guy you bump into at a seminar. Uh oh.
I love ASU weapons. I will continue to work on my weapons because I feel they have educational value for bodywork, they represent an introduction to weapons, they provide a foundation for instruction and they preserve the culture of aiki. I circle those elements and seek to match my weapons to those expectations. Right, wrong, or ugly. Variety is not necessarily the problem; in fact, cutting variety is often part of a larger curriculum. Rather, I would look at the reasoning behind the sword strike more.
I have heard a variety of reasons for a variety of weapons work in aikido. I am not sure any of them are 100% correct (including mine). I think ultimately, the question is are you prepared for the reckoning? When hoards of koryu people swarm the lands and ask simple questions like, "you don't even know where is the center line, how can your sword be on it?" Or, "why do your rotate your hips?"
Many Shuvs and Zuuls knew what it was to be roasted in the depths of the Slor that day, I can tell you!