His sword collection can buy him a flat

His sword collection can buy him a flat

With $750,000, you can buy an executive HDB flat. But Mr John Lee, 38, is happy to spend it on swords.

The investment firm director, who lives in a rented five-room flat in Tampines, says: “Swords are like cars or property to others. Owning them gives me immense joy.

“My swords are my legacy. It is what I hope to leave for future generations.”

Mr Lee has over 290 blades.

Most are samurai, ninja and Chinese swords. There are also medieval swords, replicas from movies and other blades.

The cheapest is $99. But the most expensive is a katana worth US$50,000 (S$63,300), which he keeps in his office abroad.

His interest in blades started when he was just 15. He was a Scout and used a survival knife during camps.

He says: “I loved Chinese sword-fighting novels. I would imagine the characters duelling with swords – it was so cool.”

Nine years ago, he started collecting blades, which he bought over the Internet or from shops.

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He would also buy swords when on trips to China and Japan but the Customs paperwork put him off.

In 2006, he had about 30 blades. He stored them at home but soon ran out of space. So he rented a storage unit for his swords.

He says: “Singapore is humid. The thought of my swords rusting just makes me cringe.

“I need a place with air-conditioning to combat the humidity.”

So he rents a storage facility in Chai Chee for $588 a month. In this space, about the size of a small bedroom, he displays his swords on shelves and glass showcases.

His favourite is a samurai sword with a dragonfly motif on its scabbard, for which he paid $7,000 to a sword company in the US five years ago.

“Samurai swords are the best in the world. They can slice, pierce and chop. They are also very durable,” says the divorce, whose girlfriend Natalie, 41, shares his love of swords.


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