# Is there something one can do to block the tip of a knife?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-one-can-do-to-block-the-tip-of-a-knife/678027
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [January 6, 2014, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-one-can-do-to-block-the-tip-of-a-knife/678027 "2014-01-06T15:07:33Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2014, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-one-can-do-to-block-the-tip-of-a-knife/678027/1 "2014-01-06T15:07:33Z")
So that I can avoid cutting myself on that (again). Like a cap or something.
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### Author:  [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2014, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-one-can-do-to-block-the-tip-of-a-knife/678027/2 "2014-01-06T15:11:08Z")
Ummm… Could you put some sort of cover, or - dare I suggest it -
> [@mr.jp](#):
>
> a cap or something
on it?
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### Author:  [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2014, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-one-can-do-to-block-the-tip-of-a-knife/678027/3 "2014-01-06T15:12:13Z")
(Sorry, I am trying not to be mean or snarky, but I must be misunderstanding the question, given that you seem to have figured out the solution yourself.)
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### Author:  [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2014, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-one-can-do-to-block-the-tip-of-a-knife/678027/4 "2014-01-06T15:13:23Z")
But like how do I get a cap that can work for that, what does it look like? I tried googling but “knife tip” gives me “knife tips”. I figure I can’t be the only one in the world with this worry, although maybe I am.
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### Author:  [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2014, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-one-can-do-to-block-the-tip-of-a-knife/678027/5 "2014-01-06T15:14:40Z")
You could blunt it if you don’t mind a permanent solution.
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### Author:  [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2014, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-one-can-do-to-block-the-tip-of-a-knife/678027/6 "2014-01-06T15:23:36Z")
I googled “knife cover” and got lots of hits. Is your knife of an unusual shape or design?
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### Author:  [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2014, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-one-can-do-to-block-the-tip-of-a-knife/678027/7 "2014-01-06T15:28:49Z")
> [@Keeve](#):
>
> I googled “knife cover” and got lots of hits. Is your knife of an unusual shape or design?
I still want to cut with the knife! I just don’t want to risk pricking myself with the tip. And I don’t really have any use for a sharp tip anyway. No, it’s standard design.
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### Author:  [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2014, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-one-can-do-to-block-the-tip-of-a-knife/678027/8 "2014-01-06T15:37:26Z")
I suppose you could use a wine cork, or a piece of one.
As a long-term solution you could use a grinder or sharpening stone to blunt the tip.
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### Author:  [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2014, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-one-can-do-to-block-the-tip-of-a-knife/678027/9 "2014-01-06T15:37:32Z")
How about some duct tape on the tip?
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### Author:  [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2014, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-one-can-do-to-block-the-tip-of-a-knife/678027/10 "2014-01-06T15:41:31Z")
> [@mr.jp](#):
>
> I still want to cut with the knife! I just don’t want to risk pricking myself with the tip. And I don’t really have any use for a sharp tip anyway. No, it’s standard design.
Okay, now I get it. You want to use the knife while to cover is still on it. You want protection from the tip, but not from the blade.
Sounds like blunting the tip (as others suggested) might be the best option.
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### Author:  [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2014, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-one-can-do-to-block-the-tip-of-a-knife/678027/11 "2014-01-06T15:44:03Z")
How did you hurt yourself with the tip of the knife? Maybe a better knife handling practice is the solution.
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### Author:  [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2014, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-one-can-do-to-block-the-tip-of-a-knife/678027/12 "2014-01-06T15:55:54Z")
Perhaps use a cleaver instead of a knife? What is it that you are trying to cut that makes the point dangerous to you?
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### Author:  [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2014, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-one-can-do-to-block-the-tip-of-a-knife/678027/13 "2014-01-06T16:53:30Z")
> [@mr.jp](#):
>
> I still want to cut with the knife! I just don’t want to risk pricking myself with the tip. And I don’t really have any use for a sharp tip anyway. No, it’s standard design.
Take it to a knife sharpener and ask them to round the tip for you. I have a knife with no pointed tip because an ex roomie decided to try and pry something and snapped it off so mrAru reground the tip. Works fine for slicing.
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### Author:  [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2014, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-one-can-do-to-block-the-tip-of-a-knife/678027/14 "2014-01-06T17:27:53Z")
> [@awldune](#):
>
> I suppose you could use a wine cork, or a piece of one.
>
> .
Along those lines — stop at a place that carries fly fishing supplies and get a foam or cork “bug body”.
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### Author:  [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2014, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-one-can-do-to-block-the-tip-of-a-knife/678027/15 "2014-01-06T17:34:33Z")
Googling on [blunt tipped knife](https://www.google.com/search?q=blunt+tipped+knife&client=safari&hl=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=JOjKUqGBHsji2wXG7IDgCQ&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAA&biw=1024&bih=648) gives mostly survival / rescue knives, but then trying [blunt tipped kitchen knife](https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&hl=en&biw=1024&bih=648&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=J-jKUurHM8b32QXt4IDYCQ&q=blunt+tipped+kitchen+knife&oq=blunt+tipped+kitchen+knife&gs_l=img.3...10386.13085.0.13572.8.8.0.0.0.0.209.925.1j6j1.8.0....0...1c.1.32.img..8.0.0.fU9nSJ20cPY) shows some possibilitites that are not cleavers.
Is that what you had in mind?
Covering a standard kitchen knife will change the shape of the cutting edge and affect how you’d use it - not ideal.
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### Author:  [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2014, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-one-can-do-to-block-the-tip-of-a-knife/678027/16 "2014-01-06T18:28:04Z")
Find a [bench grinder](https://www.google.com/search?q=bench+grinder&newwindow=1&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS544US544&espv=210&es_sm=122&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=bfXKUqrjBsnooATBiYHACg&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1536&bih=740). You can grind the whole tip off the knife to a nice rounded point that won’t cut anything at all. It’ll take you less than five minutes.
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### Author:  [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2014, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-one-can-do-to-block-the-tip-of-a-knife/678027/17 "2014-01-06T18:37:44Z")
I agree with removing the tip, you don’t even have to round it much, just take away the scary needle sharp tip, maybe a 1/8" radius. You could do this easily with your kitchen knife sharpening stone.
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### Author:  [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2014, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-one-can-do-to-block-the-tip-of-a-knife/678027/18 "2014-01-06T18:40:39Z")
> [@appleciders](#):
>
> Find a [bench grinder](https://www.google.com/search?q=bench+grinder&newwindow=1&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS544US544&espv=210&es_sm=122&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=bfXKUqrjBsnooATBiYHACg&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1536&bih=740). You can grind the whole tip off the knife to a nice rounded point that won’t cut anything at all. It’ll take you less than five minutes.
Be careful if you do this. It’s easy to get the blade hot enough to ruin the hardness of the steel. Grind slowly and frequently dunk the knife into water.
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### Author:  [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2014, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-one-can-do-to-block-the-tip-of-a-knife/678027/19 "2014-01-06T23:19:18Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#):
>
> Be careful if you do this. It’s easy to get the blade hot enough to ruin the hardness of the steel. Grind slowly and frequently dunk the knife into water.
Why I suggested taking it to a professional =)
I suppose you could find a knifemaker and commission some custom knives. I could ask my roomie what a set of the traditional 3 kitchen knives would cost in carbon steel.
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### Author:  [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2014, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-one-can-do-to-block-the-tip-of-a-knife/678027/20 "2014-01-06T23:33:35Z")
My best and favourite knife has a square end from when I used it to lever open a ring-pull can lid. I have never found it to be a problem, and I do wonder why manufacturers put sharp points on kitchen knives.
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