Odd pole arm

[Philip]

Originally Posted by ariel

I do not think it is a reworked utility knife. To me it looks like some kind of South Asian shafted weapon, in the family of Indian Bhuj, SEA Mak, Japanese Naginata or even European Couteaux de Breche or Siberian Palma and Batiyya. Longer handle allowed for the use of both hands to add power, and the length of blade might have been intentionally kept short to increase rigidity. In any case, one needed only so much sharp edge for full functionality: the dreaded Spanish Colonial sabers with finger-stalled handles (we used to think they were N. African) had no more than distant third to a half of the blade sharpened. The use of rattan might hint ( weakly but really) of Indonesian of Philippine origin

I agree with your suggestion that it may well be from SE Asia, Philippines or, as has been previously posted, the hill tribes of the Vietnam/Laos/Cambodia region. As re its being from a pole-mounted weapon, I'm not so sure. The shape of the blade is indeed that of a cutting implement, but its relative thinness and its diminutive tang don't seem appropriate on a weapon subject to leverage and other forces acting on a weapon mounted on an extended shaft.

A polearm with blade of similar shape to this object, and to the Chinese fighting knives highlighted in a prior post, was used in China's southern provinces. However, I can state from handling, and restoring, a few of these that those blades are far more substantial (over twice the thickness at the base) and are integral with a tapering solid shank of octagonal section, then transitioning to a fairly wide flat tang with one or two holes for rivets. This is at variance with what we see here on this piece, so despite the superficial similarity of blade outline, we are comparing apples and oranges.