I am very curious how you finish off handlebar tape at the stem. For the longest time I used vinyl electrical tape and then put the trim tape usually supplied with the bar tape over the top, but now I am using 3M cotton friction tape (3M Temflex 1755 Cotton Friction Tape). The tape is available at Home Depot and Lowes. This tape was a very different type of adhesive. It doesn't feel stickey but when you wrap the end of the tape with it, it sticks to itself very well and the cotton base of the tape looks good with the cork bike ribbon.

I will add some pictures so you can see what it looks like. How does everyone else finish off their bar tapes?