“When my father, George Ording, started his business in 1970 making traditional wooden sailing ship’s blocks, he could never have imagined that 50 years later, so many sailing ships over the whole world would be equipped with Ording blocks.

In 2014, I took over the business from him. That was no surprise! As a small boy, I was always in his workshop, and knew I wanted to become a block maker too. Alongside my studies in woodworking and ship building, I learned this unique craft through practical application and working alongside my father for years. Together, we studied how blocks in the 17th century were made.

This historical knowledge comes in handy, in deciding how to make the right blocks for every ship. In the traditional wooden blocks that we provide, we also include much more modern technology, such as delrin or aluminium-bronze sheaves, and high quality metal bindings. These blocks are a beautiful, practical melding of tradition and technology, built to withstand heavy loads, resist wear and tear, and resist saltwater.

We still make our blocks by hand. This way, we can take on custom orders for each individual ship, large or small. That is our strength. I love to make all the blocks for a large tallship, but I find it just as enjoyable to make a single block for a small ship. I share with the boat owners a passion for traditional and classic sailing ships, and am thankful that there are still so many of these ships sailing around the world.

It is for all these traditional ships that we provide our beautiful and sustainable blocks, which, if properly maintained, are built strong to last the test of time and the elements. Just as we have done for the last 50 years, we provide traditional methods in combination with modern day techniques, knowledge, and innovations.