“...designed for easy playability and effortless control.” – Oxdog.net
Oxdog was beginning to work itself into the mainstream during the early 2010’s, which coincidentally happens to be the same time I took my first steps towards the competitive side of floorball. During those days, Oxdog’s brand used to be synonymous with the Block blade. Especially in the Finnish Salibandyliiga (now known as F-Liiga), the adoption of Block seems to have been instant. It took some time before the hype trickled down to the junior leagues and once it did, the early adopters acted like they had found a hidden gem. We were just some stupid kids of course, as Oxdog’s potential was already known at that time. The other early Oxdog blades just did not scratch the itch quite like Block did.
Block was an impressive release from Oxdog. The blade itself is structurally sound and there is very little bending when applying pressure to it. This is all without sacrificing the touch, which is soft even by the modern standards. The weight is also very manageable at 70 grams. For a medium-sized blade, Block’s physical attributes are surprisingly competitive to this day. There are no carbon inserts to be found here though, as Block was released before the CPB tech was invented. Block users have to make do with the ordinary MB and NB variants, but that should not be a deal-breaker to anyone. Block’s color options are quite limited nowadays, but there’s a plethora of options out there in the second-hand market. I will not dive deeper into the factory hook of this blade, but just know that it is probably the straightest of all Oxdog blades. For my liking the blade is a bit too open, and without modifying the hook, I have found my passes to be bouncing all over the place. Closing the tip is the only modification I personally needed to make this blade enjoyable.
I would describe Block as more of a passer’s blade. Shooting with it is tolerable, but it is clear why a lot of players switched to Avox once it was available. After using it for a couple seasons, I made this switch too as my priorities inside the game shifted. I do remember Block fondly, though. Simple. Reliable. A real working-man’s blade. You won’t find anything fancy or special in this one, but it will get the job done in games and training sessions alike. Nowadays, Block seems to be mostly used by players who require a lot of passing comfort and precision. I would consider this blade to be best suited for centers.
I often joke about how Block reveals the real skill level of a player. Like the tide going out and exposing the naked swimmers, Block will quickly show whose deficiencies are being compensated for by the newest gear. In reality, there are no naked swimmers, but some Borat-esque swimsuit situations can definitely be found. Luckily, we have the freedom to choose our own gear so these players can be left concealed by the ocean of Optilights and Avoxes. Very nice! Jokes aside, it should be expected that players are initially worse with Block. You cannot deny the fact that we have had incredible development in blade technology to a point where almost all newer blades are superior to their decade-old counterparts. This does not mean that Block cannot be good, it just takes some getting used to.
Even with a shrinking user base, Block has managed to retain a cult following. Users of Block rate this blade highly, often enjoying the slightly smaller size compared to Razor, and the ease of use. Time beats all though, and sadly, the blade that used to be so quintessentially Oxdog just simply feels a bit outdated to me. I think that Block has found a sweet spot as an option for the children’s sticks. It is an inoffensive choice that provides a good basis for training the floorball fundamentals. I would recommend looking into other options such as Optilight, but Block is still worth a try if you are unfamiliar with it. Who knows, maybe you turn out to be one of the Block fanatics.