Exploding Ink Tab

[megalomania]

I bought a pair of pants today at a major department store. When I got them home I noticed it had one of those exploding ink packs still affixed to the leg. After being relieved it didn’t go off, I wonder how am I supposed to get the damn thing off my new pants without it exploding or damaging the pants. I watched the sales girl use a special device at the counter, she just pushed it in and it popped open. I suspect some sort of magnetic release.

I don’t relish the 30 mile drive back to the store to return the thing and if at all possible I would like to keep the ink pack. Does anyone have experience in dealing with these devices? Perhaps this is an opportunity for me to crack this sucker open and see how it ticks.

[Nihilist]

Sorry for linking to totse, but they have a little tiny bit of info on it, and it seems reasonably plausible. http://www.totse.com/en/bad_ideas/scams_and_rip_offs/howtoremoveink169909.html If I can find anything else, I'll post it.

EDIT: I have looked at a few different sites, and they seem to agree that simply taking wire cutters, and cutting the wire that connects the two tabs, will remove it without activating it.

[GibboNet]

It depends what sort of ink tag it is...

You'll have to give a better description. My grilfriend works in a major deopartment store, and they have three types of ink tags, plus a few different electronic tags. Nihlist is right, but if they're put on correctly, then there will be practically no wire to cut, they will be too close together on each side.

This is all because some people can remove them in the store, and so they've started putting multiple tags on each piece of clothing. On larger items like prams, there can be 5 tags, all hidden in different areas ! Checkout chicks often find the one tag, remove it, and assume it's the only one, whereas there's often more, like you've found.

I personally heard that opening under water, so that even if it does break, the water dilutes it enough to make it harmless, and non marking. Maybe running water would be better.

At one stage, I found one of these devices (the things that remove the tags) left on a shelf in k-mart.... of course, knowing how much trouble the store attendant would get in, my GF took it to a counter. :(

[nbk2000]

There's several spring loaded ball bearings that engage a groove in the needle, to keep it locked on.

The "key" is a machined piece of steel, shaped to accept the cone-shaped part that acccepts the needle, that is highly magnetic and draws the bearings apart against the spring tension, releasing the pin. :)

[mrloud]

The electronic and ink security tags I've pulled apart operate like NBK said; however, the ball bearings didn't engage onto a grove in the needle. The ball bearing simply grip the shaft of the needle. Pulling the needle only pulls the ball bearings up harder against the needle locking it tighter into place. Kind of a ratchet arrangement.

I have found that by continuously rotating the needle in the receptical, at the same time as pulling firmly on the needle part of the tag, the needle will work its way out.

I've also seen single piece tags with a hinge at one end and one (or more?) 'teeth' that bight through the item to be protected. Can't help much with those I'm afraid :confused:

[A-BOMB]

I've found that if you cut apart the smaller side(the one that the needle goes into) you can just remove that bearings.