"When I was little, I didn't go out to play with other kids--I just stayed at home and played with my sword," reveals Chen, whose friends all call him "Ah-Po." He also began to make swords himself. He started with wooden ones, but later he began to grind blades out of steel. This was to be a lifelong hobby.
外祖父是台北人，過世時留下一把武士刀給他，「我小時候都不跟別的小朋友玩，只在家玩刀」，朋友都叫他「阿波」的陳朝波透露，他從那時候起就自己做刀，從木刀開始，後來還自己磨鐵做刃，從此就與刀結了不解之緣。