The sword as a weapon exists on more levels than the purely practical. It is more than the sum of its parts.

A sword is a signifier, an indicator of rank, power, prestige and potential martial prowess. A man (or potentially a woman) with a sword has the wealth and status necessary to ensure access to a good diet, leisure time to train, a psychology that is suited to fighting, and the will to use it.

A person carrying a sword also carries the threat of a sword, which is usually far more important than the sword itself. A man carrying a sword seldom had to wield it in order to get his way.

In most cases, it was far better to convince via the threat of a sword than to actually use it.

From The Perfect Sword.