Jim: I don't know if I can properly explain the "chopping" theory in English. Maybe I'm using not this word properly, so let's call it BREAKING instead. General it is forced with the shape of the blade which is straight - just like with the swords. Chopping/breaking with straight blade is used (I think, if I'm wrong correct me) to break the enemy's armour, to drop off his legs, drop off the horse etc. You take a sword, and instead acrobatics slashes just hit hit hit
. With pallasches like this "chopping" seems to be the easiest way of fighting. Hits like this were used also with Hungarian-Polish type sabres (those open hilted with extra long quillons), because of heavy blade, thicken at the point. But generally sabres were used for oblong cut. But cavalry sabres in 18th and 19th centuries were bigger and heavier too. It's easy to smash someone from the horse with something heavy
. Sorry if I made more confusion.
Of course I was joking with "Executioner pallasch" theory. There were swords used for it, with much thicker blades than this one.
Another theory: the blade still seems to me later 18th century, but the markings which I didn't recognize yet should tell us more about it. Maybe the blade was refit with older, estoc hilt ?