A method of producing a bendable tip for an instrument, comprising: mounting a tube for an instrument in a CNC controlled rotational and axially movable holder of a laser cutting machine, with a distal end of the tube extending from the holder; activating a laser cutter; laser cutting wedge shaped partial circumferential openings in the tube to define a plurality of radially extending ribs at the distal end of the tube, the ribs being connected together by an axially extending spine located circumferentially opposite to a widest part of the wedge shaped openings, and the ribs having first and second axial sides (35, 36); during the laser cutting, forming in each of the ribs in at least one of the first or second axial sides, three axial projections or recesses, and forming in a facing one of the at least one of the first or second axial sides of an adjacent one of the ribs three corresponding complementary mating recesses or corresponding axial projections, wherein the axially extending projections and corresponding complementary mating recesses and/or the recesses and the corresponding axial projections in the plurality of ribs are formed in axially extending rows; characterised in that the axially extending rows consist of a first one of the rows which is located approximately 80 - 100 degrees from the spine, a second one of the rows which is located approximately 170 - 190 degrees from the spine, and a third one of the rows which is located approximately 260 - 280 degrees from the spine, wherein the recesses and/or corresponding complementary mating recesses of the first and third rows have a curved path extending from the at least one of the first and second axial sides toward the spine, and the projections and/or corresponding axial projections of the first and third rows have a complementary curved shape to the curved path of the respective recesses or corresponding complementary mating recesses. mounting a tube for an instrument in a CNC controlled rotational and axially movable holder of a laser cutting machine, with a distal end of the tube extending from the holder; activating a laser cutter; laser cutting wedge shaped partial circumferential openings in the tube to define a plurality of radially extending ribs at the distal end of the tube, the ribs being connected together by an axially extending spine located circumferentially opposite to a widest part of the wedge shaped openings, and the ribs having first and second axial sides (35, 36); during the laser cutting, forming in each of the ribs in at least one of the first or second axial sides, three axial projections or recesses, and forming in a facing one of the at least one of the first or second axial sides of an adjacent one of the ribs three corresponding complementary mating recesses or corresponding axial projections, wherein the axially extending projections and corresponding complementary mating recesses and/or the recesses and the corresponding axial projections in the plurality of ribs are formed in axially extending rows; characterised in that the axially extending rows consist of a first one of the rows which is located approximately 80 - 100 degrees from the spine, a second one of the rows which is located approximately 170 - 190 degrees from the spine, and a third one of the rows which is located approximately 260 - 280 degrees from the spine, wherein the recesses and/or corresponding complementary mating recesses of the first and third rows have a curved path extending from the at least one of the first and second axial sides toward the spine, and the projections and/or corresponding axial projections of the first and third rows have a complementary curved shape to the curved path of the respective recesses or corresponding complementary mating recesses.