About those bicycle pumps...you've got to get the right valve head on the pump. There are 2 very different types of valves on bike tires/tubes, Schrader and Presta. The Schrader is the same type you see on automobile tires, the Presta is pretty much exclusive to bicycles. If you've got a pump with a Schrader head on it, it's not gonna work on a Presta valve, the converse is also true. They are very different diameters and the Schrader valve uses a spring and a removable valve core, the Presta does not.

Any of the better pumps, whether they're the type that mounts on the bike or a foot type should have the ability to adapt the head to work with either type of valve. It usually involves taking the head apart and replacing some rubber parts.

There are pumps that claim to work with both but none that work well that I've ever seen. There are also some heads that are reversible to work with either valve type.

You shouldn't ever have to modify a pump head to fit onto a tire valve with a knife, not matter how tempting it might be... ;^)

John E