Abstract: A tape dispenser of the type having a cutting blade mounted on the upper end of a cutting bar with a cutting bar face below and generally parallel to the blade and a blade guard slidably mounted on the cutting bar face for movement between blade-covering and blade-exposing positions. A spring tension element is positioned on the blade guard so that it tends to push a lower end of the blade guard away from the cutting bar face and to push an upper blade-covering end of the blade guard toward the cutting bar face when the blade guard is in the blade covering position.