I greatly enjoy reading Mr. King's articles. He is an amazing artist with great techniques. I have previously worked as a seamstress, needleworker, and costumer. A former boss had told me about using zipties for quick, inexpensive, flexible boning (some bend more one way too, so face them so they do bend outward). She also told me that a quick way to cut them off AND give a gently curved end which was less likely to poke through the end of the channel was to use either fingernail or toenail clippers, depending on the thickness of the ziptie!