Have you ever watched Star Wars and thought, ‘How amazing would it be to have my very own lightsaber?’
What started as a passion for the sci-fi movie series led three Star Wars fans to establish one of the largest Malaysia custom saber manufacturing companies in the world.
Today, Sabertrio is an internationally recognized brand known for producing high-quality custom sabers.
Their products are highly regarded by collectors and even used by saber dueling academies in France, thanks to their detailed craftsmanship, cutting-edge technology, and top-tier quality that delight Star Wars fans worldwide.
How it all began
Jason, a self-proclaimed nerd who loves everything Star Wars and computer-related, was captivated by the spacecraft designs, battles, and universe offered by the Star Wars saga when he first watched the original trilogy.
Growing up, he absorbed every movie, show, game, and collectible, never realising the ‘Force’ would one day guide him into the saber-making business.
After graduating from Taylor University and RMIT with a degree in computer science, Jason joined his family’s hotel OS&E (Operating Supplies & Equipment) business.
Despite the lack of connection between his degree and the job, Jason said it was the most important foundation in building Sabertrio.
“After working with my family for over 10 years, me and a business partner, Kris, who also happened to be a Star Wars fan too, began brainstorming entrepreneurial ideas together.
“The turning point came when we purchased a saber from the U.S. for $500 (around RM2,000) and found it to be quite basic and lacked customisation despite the hefty price tag.
“At that moment, we thought to ourselves, ‘We should come up with something better at a similar price point.'” he recounted.
Thanks to their wealth of experience in being businessmen, Jason and his partner noticed that there was a market opportunity for them to meet the demand for a superior product among Star Wars enthusiasts.
With the concept of an ideal saber in mind, Jason wasted no time turning the idea into reality.
Taking the first step
Once the business plan was set in place, Jason approached one of his university friends, Dane, with the knowledge that the latter was eager to start something new.
I knew Dane was very dedicated and always ready to take on new challenges. Out of everyone I contacted, he was the only one who immediately accepted the offer,” Jason recalled.
With their team finally formed, the founder trio, Jason, Dane and Kris dived into the technical aspects of saber production. Despite none of them having any background in engineering, their determination in creating a saber of their own was unwavering.
Jason credited his problem-solving skills to the time he spent working with his father, where he learned to find solutions and tackle challenges head-on.
He recalled one particular project he was working with Genting Highlands, where he was tasked with creating a massive housekeeping trolley for the hotel chamber maids.
It would have been too cumbersome to move around, so we ended up designing a custom compartment motor-powered trolley, learning step by step along the way.
During the saber production process, the team wasn’t satisfied with creating a saber that simply lit up. Instead, they wanted it to be fully functional by being able to make movement sounds and contact feedback, as well as having the durability needed for combat.
In order to achieve this, it required extensive research into sound design, motion detection, and other technological components.
After months of hard work, the trio successfully developed their first saber in 2016 formally and launched their business.
Breaking into the global market
After perfecting the saber-making process, the team began marketing the product on social media.
Initially, they weren’t sure whether to focus on the local or international market, but after selling a few units to American collectors, they received positive reviews online that gave them a significant boost.
One of the early reviews came from a blog called SaberSourcing, and after they praised our product, we started receiving a lot of orders from the U.S., which officially kickstarted our business.
Thanks to these positive reviews, word about Sabertrio quickly spread among the tight-knit Star Wars community and it became a household name among fans.
In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic spread across the world. While most businesses were brought to their knees during the pandemic, the opposite happened for Sabertrio.
“People were bored and seeking joy online, which led to more people discovering Sabertrio. As a result, our sales skyrocketed to unprecedented levels,” shared Jason.
Throughout Covid, Sabertrio’s online store was only open to receiving new orders for 4 days in the entire year to ensure that every product met their high quality standards and that their production was not completely overwhelmed.
“The team faced challenges scaling up the workforce during the pandemic, but we refused to compromise quality for quantity.
“We could’ve accepted more orders, but we wanted to guarantee that each saber we sold was top-notch,” Jason explained.
Commitment to quality and customisation
When picking up one of Sabertrio’s sabers, one thing becomes immediately clear: it is, by all means, not a toy.
From its weight to its ability to ‘ignite’ the blade up with a simple movement, and the deep, solid sound it produces when lighting up, one can see how it fulfills every Star Wars fan’s dream of wielding a saber.
On top of that, the saber generates the familiar hum every Star Wars fan can connect to when it’s waved and better still, you can actually hear the distinct sound of two sabers colliding when it clashes with another saber.
Jason explained that they had to build a power core, equivalent to an onboard computer, to process all the feedback and transform it into various sound effects via the soundboard.
Even finding a speaker that delivers enough bass and LEDs bright enough was a challenge for us. We want to ensure the best experience.
“In Star Wars, every Jedi or Sith has their own unique saber. When you see a certain lightsaber, you instantly know which character it belongs to.
“Similarly, a saber is a personal item, so when customers ask for a replica from a Star Wars character, I will always suggest that they create one that is uniquely theirs,” said Jason.
Sabertrio currently offers thirteen main styles of custom sabers, each of which is highly customisable. Beyond technical specifications, its design and decoration patterns are the key selling points.
When asked if he’d like to redesign Obi-Wan Kenobi’s lightsaber, this was Jason’s response:
It would be an honor, but I don’t think I could impose my vision on him. It should be his perfect saber, not mine. I’d love to collaborate with him on it.
“For me, creating a personalised saber that satisfies the client is the most important part of the process.”
Expanding a M’sian brand to the international market
While Sabertrio enjoys a wide fanbase in the U.S., Jason admitted that getting into the American market was no easy feat.
“Breaking into the U.S. market is ideal because of their large population and strong buying power. But it’s definitely not easy.
“Expanding into international markets, especially those with different cultures, can be a challenge,” admitted Jason. “However, if you offer something truly valuable, the market will respond accordingly.”
Additionally, he noted that being based in Malaysia has also given the company an advantage.
We have access to high-quality materials at lower costs due to the currency difference, allowing us to produce top-notch products at a more affordable price than overseas competitors.
That’s why when you visit the Sabertrio website, everything you see is not only a product of quality but also a product with the best price in the market!
Jason also offered some words of advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.
“If you see an opportunity, grab it. Work through the challenges, and you’ll succeed, even in competitive markets like the U.S. If I saw another opportunity today, I’d chase it, and so should you. Don’t be intimidated.”
