Akshaf Masroor said his interest in knives first sparked in 2008 when he was operating a cellphone store and asked his colleague for a knife to open his shipments. When his colleague offered him one of his nine knives, Masroor realized the multiple purposes a knife could provide.

That was the moment Masroor decided to start a business offering handmade knives. Texan Knives was established in 2008 and began operating inside Masroor’s cellphone store.

“I made about 200 knives and could not sell a single one in six months,” Masroor said. “That’s when I started doing more research and attended knife shows all over the country.”

Respecting the craft

After operating for about 16 years, Texan Knives relocated from Porter to Kingwood in December to expand its offerings.


Texan Knives offers handmade knives crafted by Masroor and a team of six employees at his independent knife manufacturing company.
Texan Knives offers folding knives. (Jovanna Aguilar/Community Impact)
Texan Knives offers folding knives. (Jovanna Aguilar/Community Impact)
The knife company specializes in Damascus knives, a type of steel that is created by merging hard steel between softer steel.

“A good knife has two qualities; it should hold an edge and be easy to sharpen,” Masroor said. “My knives have both qualities and are user-friendly; they are not too strong, and they are not too soft.”

With a process that takes five to six hours, Masroor said his knives are forged at 480 degrees and can be made in batches of 120-500 knives at a time.

“The process matters,” Masroor said. “Our knives are made with 416 layers of 1095 high carbon tool steel and 4340 nickel.”
Texan Knives offers knife sharpening services. (Jovanna Aguilar/Community Impact)
Texan Knives offers knife-sharpening services. (Jovanna Aguilar/Community Impact)
What they offer


Texan Knives offers free lifetime sharpening services for knives bought from the company as well as a lifetime warranty.

Texan Knives range from $35-$900 with a variety of options, including pocket knives, kitchen knives, cowboy knives, hunting knives, automatic knives and swords.
Texan Knives offers finger hole knives. (Jovanna Aguilar/Community Impact)
Texan Knives offers finger-hole knives. (Jovanna Aguilar/Community Impact)
With over a million knives in stock, the business also offers custom-made knives that can be customized by the customer with a choice of metal, handle and design as well as engraving services. In addition, Texan Knives offers sharpening services, training programs and DIY knife services.