Abstract: A gummed tape dispenser has a pair of V-shaped cutting blades for making successive V-shaped cuts in the ends of a length of tape drawn from the dispenser to provide arrow-shaped lengths of tape. The tape dispenser has a tape moistener whose central portion is masked to keep the central portion of the tape dry as it is drawn across the moistener so that the central portion of the tape will not stick to a surface (e.g. the flaps of a box) to which the moistened tape is glued. Thus the unglued tip of the pointed end of the tape can be subsequently grasped and the tape can be stripped away to facilitate opening of the box.