A shirasaya is a plain wooden Japanese blade mount consisting of a saya scabbard and tsuka hilt, used when a blade was not expected to see use for some time and needed to be stored. They were externally featureless save for the needed mekugi-ana to secure the nakago tang, though sometimes sayagaki blade information was also present. The need for specialized storage is due to the fact that prolonged koshirae mounting harmed the blade, owing to factors such as the lacquered wood retaining moisture and encouraging corrosion.
True shirsaya swords are not intended for actual combat, as the lack of a tsuba guard and proper handle wrappings were deleterious; as such they would likely never make their way onto a battlefield. However, there have been loosely-similar hidden mountings, such as the shikomizue. Also, many blades dating back to earlier Japanese history are today sold in such a format, along with modern-day reproductions.
Our version of the Shirasaya Sword Or Shirasaya Katana is a traditional 40 inch guardless Japanese long sword with a reverse curved 27 inch polished, sharpened, and oiled blade that slips tightly into it's matching burgundy rosewood saya scabbard.
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