An end effector for operating on tissue comprises a first jaw, a second jaw, a firing beam, and a support band. The first jaw is movable toward the second jaw to capture tissue. The first jaw has a first slot and the second jaw has a second slot. The firing beam and the support band are coupled together and are positioned to translate through the first and second slots of the jaws. The firing beam presents a sharp distal edge for severing tissue captured between the jaws. The support band presents a curved distal end. The sharp distal edge of the firing beam is partially covered and partially exposed by the curved distal end of the support band.
