The brass stem bands sold by Clark Craft come predrilled, so I guess they don't have a problems with excessive bending at the holes.

If i thought I'd have that problem at some particular area wher the band might be applied, I'd bend it into place by securing one end of the strip, and then moving a small block of wood along the length of the strip -- tapping the block with a hammer where hand pressure was not enough to bend the strip to fit. The block would prevent me from applying too much force to the area around the holes.

Brass screws, in the sizes used for holding on brass strips, are pitifully weak. All too often you can find "Brass" screws that are used with hinges, or brass furniture trim are really brass plated steel. This is fine for indoor use, but not so good for our applications. Get bronze or silicon bronze screws from a boating supply house if you want to have a close color match to your brass strip. You only need a few, so the cost is not too bad. Use stainless steel if your only supplier is the nearest hardware store.

hope this helps.

PGJ