The metal end is actually quite blunt, but, yes, I did worry about that. It really is far less spike-like than a ski pole; more like the end of a top but wider. I've taken it through in my carry-on suitcase a couple times without incident, but maybe I got lucky.

It also has a rubber piece that goes over it and is actually quite hard to remove, but I now see other comments about that.

It also unscrews, so you could screw in something else if desired. And, worst case, if someone objects to the "pointy" bit, I can say, "Ok, fine, you can keep that." The rest is still somewhat usable and can get some sort of new end later.