While I haven't built a catalogue of images, these briquets (with Dutch origins but found in Indoneasia) do show up on Facebook sword groups from time to time. Usually they have been worked very hard and are fairly worn out.
In the context of things, this is not really surprising. Indoneasia, at least until recently, being a largely agricultural society must have found these briquets very handy tools to have around.
As for the sword Phil's friend has aquired, looking closer at the blade, I suspect that it originally came from a Dutch m1820 infantry officers sword, which was an identical copy of the British 1796 Pattern infantry officers sword.
I personally doubt the replacement was done 'in period', but it would have happened during the 'working life' of the sword. Most likely the briquet blade had become so worn from re-sharpening that to get the remaining utility out of the handle someone matched it with a broken officers blade.
Even with the shortened blade, the sword shown would still make a perfectly adequate slasher.
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