How do you finish the edge of a snake skin?

[WhistlingBadger]

Title says it, I guess.  I've got a few bows in the pipeline that are or will be backed with snake skin.  How to you get a nice, clean looking edge?  I've tried cutting a straight edge with an exacto knife, and painting over the edge with a black stripe.  Neither looks terrible, but neither is completely satisfying either.  What do you do?

[Pat B]

I use a flat bastard file and go along the edge filing from back to belly, starting at the handle and out the limb to the tips. This gives you a tapered edge that blends to the wood smoothly unlike an abrupt cut edge.

[Eric Krewson]

I only put my snake skins on the back of the bow, some wrap them around the sides a bit. I leave the top limb edge sharper and cut the excess skin off with a small fine cut file pushing the file toward the belly only, this cuts a very clean line. I sand the side of the bow lightly to get rid of the file marks.

I use the painters tape to keep the glue off the rest of the bow so I have less to clean up after the skin is applied.

[bentstick54]

I do the same as Eric.

[superdav95]

Same here.  I like to use thin ca glue on the tapered edge itself ones I sand it a bit to seal up the edge.   Tb3 would likley work too. 

[WhistlingBadger]

Ah, OK.  See, stuff like this is why I need you guys...how long would it have taken me to figure that out myself?  Thanks for the tips.  Much appreciated.
Thomas