Tungsten Carbide in the right form is a very good material for what we want.
The amount of force needed to shatter a well build piece of that stuff will be of such magnitude that even paper would become dangerous shrapnell.

But as you wrote, welding isn't an option, bolting would be a weak spot. Glue and/or rivets equaly weak.
The only way to have a tungstencarbide weapon that will do the job is to grow it as 1 big crystal.

Not a simple task....