Those of you familiar with traditional Japanese sword patterns, like a katana, may also be familiar with an unconventional configuration that some call a “wooden handle katana.”
It is actually called a shirasaya, which means “white sheath” or “white scabbard” in Japanese.
Yet as you may know, the tsuka, or hilt, of a Japanese sword is typically wrapped in rayskin and then finished with a cord or silk wrap – so the “wooden” configuration is a certain aberration.
Why, though? What’s the reason for this wooden handle katana? Is it a western reinvention?
Actually, it isn’t. It’s native to Japan, although the practice of calling it a “wooden handle katana” as if to insinuate that it is meant to be used as a weapon with a wooden hilt and sheath, is not accurate.
But there is a caveat; the “wooden” handle katana is not a katana in the sense that it is intended to be used in battle or even for training. It has solely more utilitarian applications.
Here’s what you need to know.
The Function of the Shirasaya
Japanese swords are made from a special grade of steel known as tamahagane, which means “precious steel.”
This steel, however capable it is of taking a differential temper (and it is), is not well-suited to resisting corrosion.
This is made worse by the fact that a conventional saya, which is made of lacquered wood, is not the best at repelling moisture. In fact, it traps it, and a katana sheathed in its saya for any appreciable amount of time is liable to rust.
So, for long-term storage, or for transport, a katana is typically removed from its tsuka and saya and redressed in a naked wood tsuka and saya; the outfit is known as a shirasaya, which, as stated, means “white sheath.”
Typically, the shirasaya is raw wood, which means that, while it could absorb moisture, it would also breathe, which means it would not trap moisture next to the blade.
This would protect the blade from rusting – while paired with normal precautions, such as keeping the blade clean and oiled, along with storing the shirasaya in an appropriate place.
That is the main function of the shirasaya, as it was used for long-term storage in the home as well as for transport.
The other thing to note about the shirasaya is that it gave a handler an easy way to transport the katana in such a way that it was not hazardous to himself or others.
Now, the shirasaya configuration, in which the tsuka lacks a wrapping to add grip, as well as a tsuba to protect the hands, is not a good one for combat.
Nonetheless, there are some who believe this configuration represents a katana arrayed for battle – though it isn’t.
On top of that, because the image is a popular one, there have been some shirasaya configurations made with unique woods like rosewood, and inlaid or embellished.
The bottom line here is that the shirasaya, though you might call it a wooden handle katana, is a way to store or transport the sword, not some unique way to outfit it so that it can be used as a weapon.
Where to Learn More About These Wooden Handle Katana Swords
Whether you’re interested in a wooden handle katana – a shirasaya – for your home as a decorative element, or you have a real samurai sword that needs a wooden sheath for storage, learn more about what’s available at True Swords.
They carry a wide range of real samurai swords, traditional Japanese swords, and other battle ready swords. Take a look through their collection and get in touch with them if you have any questions about any of the patterns they sell.
