I was also having some problems with mounting a Conti SuperContact tire on a 26inch wheel. I did use some tire lever to mount it, but I was very worried about cutting the tube. Luckily, everything went just fine. However, I just ordered the Kool Stop Tire Bead Jack, which I understand from Sheldon Brown's site is a nice tool to have for mounting tough tires.
You might want to look into buying the Kool Stop Tire Bead Jack tool.
Regards,