i know stainless steel swords are decoration, what metal is ok for a sword that is usable
Why the interest in a 'usable' sword ~~ are you really going to use it?
carbon steel will hold a good edge, but will corrode easily. The nicest blades I have seen are made from damascus steel (repeatedly folded over and over). It makes a blade which is good and flexible sideways, but more rigid in the cutting direction, and it holds an edge extremely well. It also looks awesome due to the grain effect from the folds, but is very expensive.
