Perhaps I was hasty out my ignorance of Chinese knives. Is the weapon double-edged? It appears that way to me in the photos, which would seem odd. The dadao-type guard, as on an actual dadao, is suggestive of a single-edged blade, since the turned down (or rather up, as the weapon sits in the scabbard) quillion presumably acts as knuckle guard, while the turned up one at the "back" can presumably be used to catch a blade, etc. If this is a double-edged knife, then it is more doubtful perhaps that it was used in the manner of a "butterfly knife." Not only could one cut oneself on the back edge, but the back quillion might get in the way of slashing or provide an opponent more opportunity to parry.
A dadao's long hilt, with the full tang looped into the ring pommel, seems to aid both leverage and balance for the heavy weapon. It seems unnecessary to a shorter stabbing/slashing weapon and would make it difficult to conceal, if one wished.
It may be that a country smith, used to constructing dadaos, knew only one way to hilt a weapon. Or again, it may be a more fanciful composite weapon (I am very skeptical of inexpensive pieces on eBay, especially supposed Chinese and Japanese antiques).
Anyway, you should probably post on the Chinese swords section of Sword Forum to get more attention to it.
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