The present invention provides a filament-bearing tape comprising an adhesive substrate that is releasably adhered to a surface to be coated and a filament releasably adhered to an edge of the substrate that is used to trim the applied coating. The invention further provides a method of trimming the coating comprising applying a masking material to the surface to be coated and a filament of material of sufficient tensile strength to cut the coating material, allowing the coating material to dry or cure until it obtains sufficient strength to hold a cut edge and drawing the filament through to form the cut edge. Finally, the present invention provides an apparatus for making a filament bearing tape comprising means for folding an adhesive substrate along a predefined line, applying a filament to the interior of the fold and closing said fold to retain said filament at the edge of the tape.