For show....If that.
Hi.
440 Steel swords are (Personally) little use for me...They may look nice from a distance but close up they do all seem to have a quality best defined as 'pure tack'...I see them in nearly every martial arts shop in London where they are cleverly placed high up or 'safely' behind the counter to avoid any closer looks easily...
My first sword was a 440 but I never used it for anything other than Iai...And that only when I was on my own and in no danger of injuring anyone other than myself.
Iaito are a far better bet for training use...They feel far more solid and weighed than the 440..They also tend to be more discreetly furnished which emphasizes their worth far more than the gold and basically cheap looking kinds of setup on the 440 types.
I think 440's are good for people who want to show off and maybe look good to their mates but should never be used for anything more than that in my opinion...
I haven't found one that comes close to my Iaito in all ways at present...Maybe it is just in London.
Abayo
Ben Sharples.
智は知恵、仁は思いやり、勇は勇気と説いています。