Jon,

That is a tough call. The 26 has a thicker blade profile from the hilt to the tip, but my 8 has a thicker piece of stag for the handle.

I would feel equally at home with either one working on a mule deer. I guess it would come down to what your intended use is and if you need the top edge (Model 8) sharpened or not (Model 26).

So based on the above, if I had to choose only one for EDC, I think I would split the difference and go with the Model 5-4 as I think it is the best of both worlds.