>>11608637because they are like knife-axes. THey chop, not slice. A sabre-like knife would be good at slicing but not chopping. In scientific terms, they use the momentum and added heft of a forward,curved blade to add power to the cut. Other weapons who were like this are for instance the falcata, machaira, falchion and many others. They are, once agains, a useful sword-axe hybrid.
