I've been watching this with interest, but I'll admit I don't have a lot of answers. What got me into this is the cane knife that katana posted. I've got one. Cold Steel sells these (under the title "two handed machete") and they are choppers with 2 mm thick blades. However, the overall length is over 80 cm, and the chopping power derives from the long handle. Balance wise, mine handles like an axe, rather than a sword, and it's a decent machete.
While the thinness of the blade doesn't disqualify it, the short length does. It's hard to get a good chop out of a short knife, although it's possible (I've tried). From a purely functional perspective, it's not well-built. That curved panga blade would be great, if the blade was 40 cm, not 20 cm. I'd believe it was a weapon if it had a decent point, or if the blade was so heavy (i.e. an axe) that it could cut well despite its short length. If it's not a weapon, that means it is some sort of ceremonial/decorative/experimental thingie.
My 0.0002 cents,
F
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