“Had I sons I should train them as your husband intends to train your son. It may be that he will never be called upon to draw a sword, but the time he has spent in acquiring its use will not be wasted. These exercises give firmness and suppleness to the figure, quickness to the eye, and briskness of decision to the mind. A man who knows that he can at need defend his life if attacked, whether against soldiers in the field or robbers in the street, has a sense of power and self-reliance that a man untrained in the use of the strength God has given him can never feel. I was instructed in arms when a boy, and I am none the worse for it.”
– G. A. Henty, St. Bartholomew’s Eve
So begins the inspiration for The Knight Book, written by teenage brothers Mark & Steven of Warfare by Duct Tape. But let me back up a bit…
We were first introduced to Warfare by Duct Tape about two years ago, when we came across their free Throwing Axe Booklet. {Would you like to make a Duct Tape Throwing Axe? You can! Download the free instructions here!}
When I showed this whole duct-tape idea to Gary, it took him two seconds to decide to substitute as the teacher for the day….
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[For long-time followers, do you recognize the hideous black tarp separating us from the frigid chill of late fall? Boy, this picture brings back some memories!]
The advantage of doing this while we were building onto our home is that we had oodles of extra foam insulation. The disadvantage? Foam insulation is thick and heavy. In hindsight, we should have opted for floral foam… or maybe feathers…
Needless to say, I’ve stored those throwing axes away for a little while. [Just imagine a 3-year-old and 5-year-old with these things!] But now that we are entering a study of the Middle Ages once again, we drug dragged got them out and quickly decided that Gary would substitute for me several more times this year to transform our children into modern-day duct-tape-bedecked knights!
In Teaching the Trivium, the Bluedorns emphasize the importance of fathers spending time with their children. To be honest, many times that tends to fall by the wayside. We get so involved in our schedules that we forget to allow for enough flexibility for the father to come in and mentor his own children. So… our family is intentionally setting aside some time (which will sometimes be on weeknights or weekends) for dad to show the boys how to create warrior-type-stuff with duct tape.
Our highly mathematical equation for this is:
Duct tape + boys + dad + The Knight Book = lots of fun [while learning, but Mom keeps that part a secret]
This book includes instructions for creating weapons and costumes, along with a description of and rules for the Battle Game.
The Weapons:
One-hand Sword
Zweihander
Dagger-Poignard
Spear
Spiked Battle Axe
Halberd
War hammer
Mace
Flail
Norman Shield
Medieval Shield
Materials needed: PVC pipe, PVC insulation, foam, cardboard, and duct tape (scissors, ruler, and saw for cutting PVC)
The Costumes (some pieces require cloth and sewing… uh-oh! Here’s where our family is going to need some help!):
Greathelm (Bucket Helmet)
Visored Helmet
Leg Armor
Tunic
Cloak
Money Pouch
Coin Money
Do you know what a zweihander or halberd is? I didn’t, but now I do! The Knight Book includes the necessary vocabulary along with historical explanations, and it contains many photos demonstrating how to build each weapon and costume. Even more importantly, the book emphasizes chivalry and honor while helping children (and adults) to understand battle strategies.
Armor of God
Last semester as we studied the Middle Ages, we started to piece together a suit of duct tape armor based upon the Warfare by Duct Tape Knight Book. Although we’re finished with our study of the Middle Ages, we are still memorizing Ephesians 6. It just so happens that Warfare by Duct Tape has an ebook on…
This ebook contains: Historical information about Roman armor and instructions (and templates) for building the:
- Belt of Truth
- Breastplate of Righteousness
- Shoes of Peace
- Shield of Faith
- Helmet of Salvation
- Sword of the Spirit
It also includes instructions for other costume pieces (like the cloak)
Materials needed: PVC pipe, PVC insulation, foam, cardboard, a belt or rope, and duct tape (scissors, ruler, and saw for cutting PVC)
We enjoyed this great activity for reinforcing Scripture and adding to our costume bin!
If any of you embark on Warfare by Duct Tape creations, please feel free to send us your photos or post them on our Facebook page. We would get a kick out of seeing them!
The Knight Book can be purchased from Warfare by Duct Tape. Another book that may be of interest to our readers is the Armor of God booklet.
I received this product free for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed herein are my personal, honest opinions. We just love duct tape.
Please read my full disclosure policy for more details.