A scalpel blade protector comprises an inner housing attached to a scalpel handle, an outer housing and a blade guard slidably mounted between the inner and outer housings for movement between positions exposing and shielding the scalpel blade. The blade protector is attached to conventional scalpel handles. A first embodiment shows a blade protector for a flat scalpel handle. A second embodiment shows a blade protector for a round or hexagonal scalpel handle.
