Here's mine.
1) No target date. I wait for them to pip and if there are any un-pipped a couple days after the first one pipped, I'll cut.
2) A small pair of scissors.
3,4) I pinch the egg and make a very tiny cut... just enough to insert the end of the scissors. Then I just cut the shell in a V formation about 1 to 1.5 inches long on each side. Just enough to flip up the flap to allow me to check on the snake.