A friend of mine who is as scared as me to cut her cat´s nails, showed me a similar video on youtube. I dont know how efective and painless it really is.
Clipnosis video 2011 - YouTube

I only started to cut my cats' claws once they were too old to keep them under control themselves....and to begin with I took one cat in to the vet and asked the vet nurse to show me how it was done. There was of course a small fee ( £5-10 I reckon) but it gave me the confidence to be able to do it myself at home.

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Nellie Paddy Mitzy Milo Peggy Murphy

Millie and Monty, the White Devils!

I just wondered if anyone had used those clips. There is no way that Merlin will let me near his front paws.

I started to clip my all my cats' claws the first week of arrival and since, they let me clip them without me having to hold them at the scruff of the neck. I looked at the video and for me, the clips didn't do it for me. Seems simpler to get cat into habit, start them young, keep them keen rather than to have a gadget on their neck.. it reminded me a bit like the one you get in your hair and or to secure your gown when you go to hairdresser

I clip ambers nails, sometimes I have wrap her in a towel!

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Some of the other videos on there are using bulldog clips

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The problem is that Merlin was almost 3 when I got him Anyway yesterday I got the special cat scissors and I decided to try, each time I got hold of one of his paws, he would try to bite me. So I remembered what my vet said, about putting them on an usteady surface so they would get distracted about not falling and I put him on the bathroom sink, opened the tap just a bit (he seems to be fascinated with water lately) and I started cutting, I was able to do all his nails!!!!!!!

Ingenious!! Well done for managing without the use of clips. They look to me to work in the same way as a twitch for a horse, ie. causing the release of endorphines into the blood stream which chills the horse. Mind you it's the pain of the twitch that releases the endorphines so it might not be the same, depends how much grip the clips have I expect.

I think clipping claws is a 2 man job, one to cuddle and distract and one to clip. We do all our kittens routinely so they are used to it before they leave. I expect after a few trims your boy will be happier to let you clip them.

If I am in a hurry my husband holds the Furbies and I clip their claws. If I have more time I just pet them for a while, and then clip the claws while they are relaxed.

Been clipping their claws since they were 4-5 months though, so I would suggest it being a two man job for Merlin. The clips look good though

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I think two people would just make him nervous, I will perfect my sink/water method, didn´t get a single scratch