"So if there's an inalienable right for Americans to walk round wearing swords, how come you never see people doing that these days?"

People don't walk around carrying visible guns much either; it's considered gauche, I guess. There aren't even many sword-weilding nutters. There's more nutters who drive cars into crowds.

And it's hard to get in a car or walk through a crowded mall when you wear a sword. People do wear swords to "Renaissance Faires" but thtey are generally required to be peace-banded.

But there are some who have a sword on the wall for fantasy defense against an intruder, & I knew a storekeeper who kept a very large Bowie knife on a shelf under his cash register.

Swords, within their range, are probably more deadly than pistols but they need skill, and space, and they're not much good for target practice or hunting. Pistols aren't always weapons but swords don't have any use except as weapons aside from cutting wedding cakes.

clint

As I recall Winston Churchill carried a pistol in the cavalry when most were carrying sabers because he thought it worked better.