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It's irritating to find an ink tag on a new piece of clothing, especially since there's the risk of detonation if one tries to remove it. Because of this, the best bet is always to return to the point of purchase for removal. Security tags are in place to deter thieves, and salespeople will be glad to help as long as you possess a valid receipt. For chain stores, any location will do as long as there's proof of purchase.
However, many have found tags on thrift store items or apparel purchased from far-away stores. For those that can't go back to the original outlet, home tag removal is the only way to go. -
According to the Andrew Watters blog, the standard ink tag is composed of two plastic halves fused together around several parts. One side is flat and the other may have a pyramid-like protrusion that protects the metal pin connector. Watters notes that "the locking mechanism consists of a notched pin secured by ball bearings that use spring tension and metal shims to prevent the shaft from moving." Inside of the cone is a piece of copper wire that acts as a trigger for the device, picking up signals from store security equipment.
The top half of the tag (the side underneath the disclaimer label) has the ink, which is enclosed in small glass tubes; these may shatter when the tag explodes and could cause harm. -
"The simplest way to disable the device is to slice off the top of the cone with a Dremel or a fine saw blade, remove the top spring and shim, then shake out the ball bearings. After that, the halves come apart easily," Watters summarizes. Even though the tags are removable at home, "the device has been designed to defeat attempts with scissors, pliers and wire cutters. It would be difficult to cut the garment under the tag because there is no space to use a cutting tool."
It may be tempting to attempt a brute force removal, but tags may be sensitive and can blow at any second. Instead, the power tool method is probably the safest.
