An improved hand tool for dispensing plastic fasteners having a novel anvil design that reduces inadvertent user needle sticks during operation of the hand tool and a needle having a novel casing that further reduces inadvertent user needle sticks during the replacement of the hand tool needle. The hand tool has a gun shaped casing with a barrel portion and a handle portion. The casing has a needle assembly opening at the front of the barrel portion and a trigger slot at the front of the handle portion. The hand tool further has a hollow needle disposed on one end of a needle assembly. The needle assembly is slidably movable back and forth between a retracted position disposed substantially within casing and an extend position disposed substantially out of the casing through the needle assembly opening. The hand tool further has a trigger that is pivotally mounted within the casing that extends out from the trigger slot. The trigger is capable of moving the needle assembly between the retracted and extended positions. The hand tool further has an anvil. The anvil has a finger guide portion, a main portion, and a tag slot. The tag slot separates the finger guide portion from the main portion.