One of those fussy details I struggle with. Hemp is a bit too 70’s macrame for my taste; electrical tape is too modern/big box diy; crochet thread whipped can look good but often seems overly matchy. Sometimes I wrap top down just to avoid finish tape, or go bottom-up and glue the end down.
Here is my latest experiment - thin flat leather lacing that I found in the leather aisle at Michaels. It was thin enough to do a whip finish. I think I like it, at least with this Fizik tape.