[George Smiley]

Heh.. most of the swords I've seen are 'ceremonial', whatever the hell that means, proudly displayed on the owners bedroom wall or dresser (amongst other ridiculous items).

My grandfather (who was a Colonel, USA) had a couple of "mock swords" that apparently were used for training and non-ceremonial occasions.

The blades were made of wood, possibly oak.

They're someplace at my dad's house, so I can't check them out at a moment's notice (he's 500 miles away).

[Lurker]

Those are probably Kendo swords. While the blades may be made of wood they can still be quite lethal.

L