Just the facts ma'am. Emergency responders, EMTs, ranchers and river guides by and large favor and purchase round tipped blades because they can't poke or puncture inflatable watercraft, livestock or people. The nature of these professions, place their workers in unpredictable places and situations where cutting without worry about puncturing or poking provides peace of mind. The byrd Line's BY17 Cara Cara Rescue and BY19 Meadowlark Rescue both have Sheepfoot, safety shaped 8Cr13Mov stainless steel blades. They're hollow-ground, plain edge, 50/50 or fully serrated for sliding safely under rope, seatbelts or clothing and offer the highest level cutting performance. Ergonomic comfort is equally important as cutting ability in a rescue knife so the fiberglass reinforced nylon handles are Bi-Directionally Textured' and have jimping above the Comet Shaped Hole' and along the finger choil. Both models have a four-way clip that carries: right/lefthand, tip-up/tip-down. A half-moon of steel removed from the locking lever (called a David Boye Dent) lessens the chance of gripping the knife tightly enough during use to inadvertently unlock the blade. Safe and smart.