I own the Kabar now and have owned the Ontario in the past. The examples that I could compare seem to have very similar tang thicknesses. The sites say blade stock is .165 for the Kabar and .17 for the Ontario. Both seem very sturdy and both would work equally as well. In my opinion the Kabar is made more for looks with much better fit/finish and the other is more utilitarian, saving you a few dollars. I think you would be safe buying either one, it’s just up to you if you want looks and function or just pure function.