It will be much better for you and him if you start him early doing his nails and letting him know that it doesn't hurt. That way, later on in life when he is 6 feet long and very strong, trimming his nails won't be a hassle.

It would be like trimming bird nails, just clip the sharp tips off. Keeping them short will prevent the quick from growing too far down the nail, which will prevent you from cutting his nails much at all. Clipping them early in life and sticking to it will help out alot. Also, putting something rough in his cage that he has to climb up, such as a baked tree branch with rough bark or something similar will help keep his nails filed down.