Tool knife Identification.

[tamoko]

Hello all.
Can anybody help me identifying this mini machete?
What is the purpose of this knife/tool? woodworking, kitchen?
Found in antique shop in France Burgundy region, I have been clean a little bit blade from rust.
Thanks.

 

[Mesquite]

Looks like a meat cleaver with all that weight at the front

 

[Robbi]

it could well be a lead workers knife

 

[tamoko]

My first think was that is is a small cleaver, but balances more like hatchet than cleaver and thickness to 12mm. weight at the front of this knife was made for chopping, bevel edge angle is about 25 like woodworking tool.
Most old cleaver do not have large beak on handle. I can imagine this was maybe used like billhook, for example in this region there is a lot of vine, and they are more comfortable to "trim" this with a machete than with a hatchet. Interesting, the handle looks like on an old trade knife.

 

[ged]

Possibly for lead working?

 

[rckape]

It looks a bit like a large version of a knife used by glaziers to chop old putty from around window frames.

 

[Robbi]

i though that the thick spine was there to be hit with something ie: a lead workers wooden form tool

 

[demographic]

Thick spine reminds me of hack knives.