Black Knight from Monty Python and the Holy Grail Costume

I love Monty Python and I made a Knight who says Ni costume last year. I had so much fun making it, that I thought I would make one of the Black Knight.

I searched the Internet for pictures for the costume and watched the Black Knight scene from the move about 100 times. The costume seemed simple enough and I knew that the helmet was the key. I couldn't find anything remotely close at a store, so I knew I was going to have to make this myself.

Items I bought from a costume store:

1. gauntlets. I couldn't find any out there, so ended up buying kids gauntlets that were a Darth Vader accessory.
2. The black outfit – was a ghoul costume with no hood or mask. Basic black looking thing. Was too long for the Black Knight, so I hemmed it up man style (duck tape).
3. Fake hand – fake hand to use for my severed arm.

Items for the rest of the costume that I made:

1. red cloth to make the boar symbol on his chest
2. material at fabric store to make the black chain-mail for the collar and arms
3. Two buckets from hardware store
4. Thumb tacks for helmet
5. Black ribbon for helmet
6. Cardboard for the sword
7. Broom handle to be used as core of the sword
8. Spray paint – Red, Black, and Silver
9. Used noodle that people use in the pool to float with – used part of that for the severed arm
10. Sharpie – to make the outline of the boar symbol on his chest
11. Spray adhesive – to glue the chain mail material
12. foam packing material I ad laying around--used for inside of helmet for snug fit

How to make severed arm:
Took noodle and wrapped it in a shirt sleeve. Then attached some of that chain mail material with the spray adhesive. Insert the fake hand into one end and then spray paint the other red so it looks bloody.

How to make chain mail:
Took long sleeve shirt and glued the material to the arms. For the collar, I ripped up an old sweater and glued the chain mail material. I cut it to size so it would only cover the shoulders.

How to make sword:
I took a broom handle and then wrapped cardboard around it to give it shape. Layered duct tape down the whole sword and then added cardboard for the top. The broom handle was used to give it the proper length so the Black Knight could rest his hands on it at about chin level. I added a plastic sword top for the handle and then spray painted the whole thing. I used a combination of black as the layer and then silver to give it a used metallic feel. Red at the bottom for some blood.

How to make helmet:
One 5 gallon bucket wasn't enough to get the proper height for the helmet so I needed two of them. I cut the top off of one and placed the other over it to make it a higher helmet. It was a snug fit and just put duct tape to secure it. I cut out the mouth portion with a box cutter to make the 18 air holes for the mouth and then cut the long eye slit. I used a black ribbon to go around the top, around the helmet just above the eye, down the nose front and then the T-shape on the top of the helmet. All done according to what the helmet looked like in the movie. I first tried gluing metal pieces to look like rivets, but then ended up using metal push pins to make it look better and stay in place. Had to use push pins for the top design, around the helmet on the top, down the nose piece, and on each side. Put foam inside for a secure fit and so the push pins wouldn't puncture my head. Spray painted the whole thing black and then used the silver to just gloss over so it looked more like a used metal helmet. The move doesn't show that it is solid black, so the silver really helped to make it look authentic.

Put on some black pants and boots and you are done. As an option, I also use a neck warmer to cover any part of my neck that might show.