What is a shirasaya for?

[Osiel Garcia]

I've been practising kungfu for 5 years and recently became interested in Jpanese swords. Ive found lot of names for these swords, for example shirasaya. I read it is a blade inside a wooden sheath but cannot find any info about the purpose of placing a sword there, ect.
Could someone please explain something about shirasaya or provide some internet link?

Osiel Garcia
Argentina
Hung Gar kungfu

[Mark Barlow]

It is my understanding that it strictly for storage. While several films have shown it being used as a walking stick, the shirasaya I have seen didn't have the blade held firmly enough for serious use. I'd be afraid of impaling a bystander if I tried to cut with it.

[Cebu]

Shirasaya, as mentioned, are strictly for storage of the bare blade. IIRC, if you have a new or newly polished blade, you would not want to put it in an old saya to be scratched. Usually when you send of a blade to be polished, you would commission a shirasaya to be constructed as well. I believe the glue used in constructing a shirasaya is not all that strong, so utilizing it for anything for storage of the blade would be unwise.

[Charles Mahan]

From Richard Stein's Japanese Sword Index

SHIRASAYA - plain wood storage scabbard
http://www.geocities.com/alchemyst/glossry.htm

Completely unsuited to use as a weapon.

[scruffysmileyface]

If I'm not mistaken (please correct me if I am), shira means rest. So the shirasaya is a "resting" saya, implying what you guys have already said - that it is a storage device, and not to be used as a weapon.

Just my .02
~scruff