Help needed to ID knife/sword

[Bick]

I guess this is correct forum for this request for help. Recently was given this fixed blade sword, I guess. Very heavy, zero markings, no idea where it came from, local person with no military history.
Looks handmade . Any ideas or guesses on usage, history, etc.
Thanks,
Bick

[1967redrider]

Is that a Cutlass?

[Bick]

A Cutlass could be the answer. Chatgpt was unable to find a pic of anything close. Suggested homemade farm tool, however the guard seems to aim to military. Anyway I will add it to the collection. Thanks for your suggestion. How hard would it have been for the maker to stamp an ID?
Something!

[Mumbleypeg]

We often think of things in terms of today’s values, instead of the values of the folks at the time events occurred. Whoever made it apparently didn’t think anyone would care who made it. And much to the chagrin of todays collectors, 50+ years ago the date a knife was made was not a concern.

Ken

[Bick]

Good point.

[Modern Slip Joints]

[...] How hard would it have been for the maker to stamp an ID?
Something!

By your logic my high school metal shop teacher should have given me a lower grade for not marking my name on the knife I made in shop. He probably had a set of stamps but most hobyists fooling around in their garage do not. My guess is that is how your knife/sword was made. Its carved handle butt and handle attachment with recessed hollow tubes rather than flush solid pins do not look like factory work. Also the wood has not darkened from age and it looks like mahogany which I've not seen used on factory made weapons. It looks like the blade started as a British or American WW-I bayonet that was heated then bent upwards. However, I'm not a military blade expert.

[Bick]

Thanks for looking. Good points.