Pole arm with sun, moon and stars makers stamps.

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Philip

Design and construction aren't close to any glaive I've seen, Chinese, European, or otherwise.

How secure is the socket-to-shaft attachment? Like with a cross pin or rivet?
A flensing knife used by whalers comes to mind, but that's just an off-the-cuff impression of mine. (It's been decades since I've read Moby-Dick which comprises most of my limited grasp of the topic.

Thats really an interesting observation Philip! and while I know little about the whaling trade, it does seem a pretty gruesome business in butchering an animal of that size. I believe Melville described this process in "Moby Dick", but I honestly never read it.
There is an entire panoply of tools used in this, and it seems there are some long hafted types using blades of somewhat similar blade form.

What leads me away from the whaling implement thought is the application of these markings, which seem more attuned to the talismanic (or so thought) character of thier presence. These notions I dont think were used in the same manner on tools and utilitarian implements.