Thanks for being there to film it when he says things like "Hey, check this out." The whiskey vs. REX sensor story still gives me a laugh. I won't lie, cheat, steal or tolerate those who do... but make things do something differently than their designers intended? Yeah, I'm in.
@@DeviantOllam there is a way to gt them off that doesn't require any tampering, you use a plastic carrier bag, i found a video of it here th-cam.com/video/DJabc56yQsA/w-d-xo.html
I work as a stagehand. At one music fest I work every year they switched to these wristbands instead of lanyards for our working pass. They included a little RFID tag so that if I go somewhere I'm not allowed, like artist catering, security will immediately be alerted. Problem is that I'm doing a weeks worth of eating, sleeping, showering, and a lot of manual labor with this thing on my wrist, trying the whole time not to tighten it. It's a real PITA. So thanks for the trick. I'm gonna have to try it out as soon as I can.
Yeah I'd give the event organizers a hard nope on any one way tightening anything on my body while working (also do stagehand work). Not fun. But I like that they are TRYING...
“Security will be alerted” sounds like a load of hot garbage. I work at an airport and our badges are RFID for time clocks and entry as well as higher security clearance areas. It just beeps at you and doesn’t grant access, in somewhere as secure as having federal customs agents working there
@@pws3rd170 interesting. I suppose what it does in my context is save the bullshit security team they hire from checking every pass as you walk in the door.
@@stephenwilliams163 if there are any access points like that that are kinda ambiguous you should test it out. I assume the RFID let’s you either open doors or turnstiles, and in reality it should just deny unauthorized users access. Obviously don’t go through, hang back aways and see if security actually shows up. And if by some miracle they do and then pull data logs, then track you down “sorry I got confused on where I was supposed to go” should suffice
@@pws3rd170 I ain't too stressed about it. Only places I'm not allowed with my working pass is artist catering and the green rooms. I'm usually working too much to care
Newer ones have teeth separate from the outer housing. So they spin freely and you can't get them to rotate. Also the one I had had two sets of teeth which makes the straw thing harder.
@@ancientpyro4598 solvents mainly, even just keeping it under water for a while will let you slide it larger so you can then just take it off your wrist
There's a third type. It looks like paper, but it's some sort of plastic. They glue the ends in place and they have this pattern of cuts like anti tamper stickers. Steam isn't an option when you got it on your wrist, isopropyl alcohol loosen the glue but also smeared the ink/writing on the band. Any tips?
Just cut your arm off and slide the wristband off. Then just put your arm back on. When you need to put the bracelet back on, just remove your arm again and do the same process in reverse.
Nonwoven textile made from HDPE or PP fibre, e.g. Tyvek. I'm actually usually comfy wearing those for a 4-day party but glue seepage or bad fit has made it a bit of a hassle on some rare occasions.
Do you have any chapstick or equivalent lip-balm? Smear a bit before you stick it down and the heat-softening works a lot easier. It does take a few seconds of prep and, depending on the scale of security theatre, a notion of social manipulation too but it'll slide right off. Looking forward to anyone with better techniques in the comments. I've learned more from just trying things suggested in the comments on Dev's and about 6 other channels than from several hundred hours of "formal training." You lot are fucking awesome.
There is also a second style for these fabric ones: instead of plastic the clip is made of aluminum which gets squished with pliers. I've only seen them on multi day music festivals (eg the german metal festival Wacken uses them).
in my experience 2 small flathead screwdrivers might be able to loosen them enough to slide the band out. back in isnt really possible though, but if you dont slide it out all the way, just enough to get your hand out, you are set.
@@flatcapguy0146 The specific way in which they are clamped is part of the verification check that happens when you go from the camping place area to the actual festival stage area. Security was feeling the clip on every person that went through, at least when i visited the NatureOne festival. You would have to replace the clip with something of the same color, material feel and clamp/press impression on both sides of the clip to pass security. Good luck managing that on the fly in a town in the middle of nowhere.
I had a similar clip which in fact had metal spikes that were squished into the fabric. You can cut two aluminum stripes out of a beer can or snap a double edged shaving razor blade into two pieces and stick it alongside the fabric band to block the spikes and just pull it off.
Big fan, thanks for all the content. I remember watching this when it came out but never dealt with these before. The twist method doesn’t work anymore the inside teeth spin Shimming with straw from the wrist side worked a treat. Just had to get it wrapped around one side of fabric and get it worked into the lock, sliding it tighter once it place. Opened enough to take off and will put back on and pull shim out Thanks for everything you do
If you twist up the fabric band tight enough against itself, it will become too rigid for the teeth to bite and you can slide the plastic lock off without any tools.
I just posted this trick before I read all the comments. Lol. If you twist the stopper in the opposite direction that the tails are twisted, makes it slide off even easier!
Just tried it on a wristband that I've had laying around as a souvenir. It has seen a lot of wear on a multi-day festival back in ~2019: frayed edges, slight damage to the fabric right under the teeth. Twisting still worked, only for the frayed end I had to shim. Had no straw, used an old business card (thin & glossy) - cut off a piece, rolled i up a bit, it worked just as well. Also tried the trick with melting the plastic teeth slightly. Works wonders! HOWEVER, with a jet lighter, the teeth might briefly catch on fire - good for sliding, not as good if the clasp is colored/white or if you you know you might need to pass close inspection. I don't care about close inspection in this case, nobody's going to check it anymore. Anyways, on festivals I really like, I'll gladly pay for the ticket and keep any tampering just for my own comfort.
Cloth ones you can also twist the tails very tight, then “unscrew” the plastic stopper off In the opposite direction of the tightly twisted tails. Twisting the tails makes the material more……..dense? The interior teeth then can’t grab it very well when twisting it off. No tools required. 😎
@@DeviantOllam Organizers apparently know about this, the last music festival I was at had the plastic piece with a freely rotating shroud to prevent it from being twisted off.
I got the third part recommended to me, so I found the first and started there. I don't think it'll end at the third episode now that I'm seeing your other thumbnails on the side x'D I love your humor and wholesomeness, definitely needed that rn, thank you!
"I'd rather you just give lunch to a homeless person ..." puts you up there with Bram Moolenaar in my book...wish more folks were like that. Thank you!
I must say i love this chanel. I saved the my job like 1 grand this week. 2 keys and only 2 keys can open the tool crib at work. The nearest tect to come let us back in was like 1 week out and we couldn't work without access to that room. Then i remembered the trick with Request to Exit Sensors and the upside down air can. So with permission i tried and vola. We got in.
Thank you. Yes sir I know you want stuff to flow from you to us *but* so much already flows from you to us. *and* your kindness is what I want to see more of in the world. Hence people will donate to you, Bosnian Bill, Lock Picking Lawyer, et al. Thank you.
I encountered one of these fabric wristbands recently for a convention. I also came up with the idea of using a straw to shim the teeth, but I hadn't thought of blunting the teeth for easy adjustments. I think I might put together a little travel friendly tool kit for the next trip to make future experiments easier.
The fabric ones I've seen have always been clamped with a metal thing and I've never seen the plastic clasp before. Those sure won't move one bit like this :D (Then again, the last time I've had one of those wrist bands was like 10 years ago so who knows what the scene is like now)
The metal ones are "safer" of course, shimming should still work but you are probably better off just making them _just_ large enough to get off, while looking like they are not. If you can shim them, you can pick how tight they are yourself so you only need to mess with them once.
Hi! you got my subscribe on this one! I wanted to keep my Interceltic Festival wristband in a good shape and I came up with the idea of cutting semi strong plastic and putting it around the fabric, it worked!
i have to wear those all the time at work a straw cut down and slit plus twisting the band really tight (or just twisting the band and unscrewing the plastic collar) works a treat
These video's are so much fun to watch. For what it's worth, I don't see how these tips can be misused except for comfort, and thank you for that! Well it could be misused if a place is very stupid in how they manage them. And in those cases, they'll learn eventually. :)
Preface: My hands are by no means huge, but they are on the big side. I've pissed off so many hospital staff because I would always just slide my wristband off to go to sleep (i've had various medical issues). They would even tighten it to where it's just before the point of being too tight. The staff would eventually give up.
There are also the paper/plastic wristbands that have a sticky pad with perforated lines, so that attempting to unstick it will break the wristband. Those can be peeled apart carefully with a playing card.
I have a brand new wrist band from a 2024 festival. This one is very clever. It has 2 rows of very pointy teeth that are staggered making the straw method ineffective.. in addition it also has a separate collar on the outside that spins if you try the twist method to get it off. I was able to defeat both by useing a pair of needle nose pliers to grab the inner and outer and twist the band till I got the plastic locking bead off. After that your lighter method worked beautifully against the plastic spikes
TH-cam just recommended this to me. Really cool video! I've had a ton of these from clubs and festivals, and this is really cool, just if you want to keep them, without destroying them.
I just wore this type at this year's daytona 500 while I stayed in the infield for race week, I figured out on day 2 that twisting it a bunch and then pulling back once decently twisted while still twisting will let it come off enough to slip your hand out, the more you do it the easier it gets and I did it a lot over the following days, it hits a point where it dosnt get any easier and it keeps a lot more of that bit when not twisted
I tried this today and had a really hard time with this attempt. When I got to the event some scalpers taught me a bit of a different solution. Split the straw, wrap around one side and approach from the wrist side of the assembly. A bit simpler and quicker.
Hi Dev, just a thought, I wonder if these bands could be popped and then see how to re-assemble one with just the contents of a hotel room? (Hairdryer, Corby trouser press... etc.)
One trick for the fabric ones is to first twist the 2 outer ends really tight. When they get tight, you start spinning the plastic lock collar. This will help to disengage the teeth. The tight twist helps prevent them from biting again. Can keep spinning the plastic end until it's loose enough to release from the wrist in question.
victorinox has the BEST compact scissors i've ever used. they are usually attached to a knife though, so they are pretty impossible to fly with unless you check them. they are incredibly sharp though and very tiny. my knife that has scissors also has a tiny magnifying lens, with the idea that you can use it to repair clothes i think
I have gotten these off before without any tools. Start by grabbing the ring and push it into the band, which compresses some the spikes against the walls, then twisting the other band into a thin string that you can slide loose and free your hand
i saw a similar trick but you pull the fabric through the straw, and push the straw up into the grabby bit, it'll pull out easy enough unless the fabric is too thick. your way seems like itd work with thicker fabric
how to social engineer this to not be an issue: "I'm working with food during this event, can you leave it loose or put it around my ankle?" I learned this from my wife, it was true when she said it. I didn't argue when they offered the same to me. a massive event I plan on volunteering at this year uses this style of fabric band with embedded rfid tags. as there's a heavy govt and grey hat presence at the event I was considering putting a piece of copper pipe around the tag.
I guess I don't go to the nice events, I've only had the paper stick on type... still good to know if it ever comes up though. It would be interesting to see what works for the sticker ones. Solvent and a nylon scraper? That's the obvious first guess, but I've never actually tried it. Maybe cut it carefully and apply a new sticky bit to cover the cut, kinda like replacing the button.
For the cloth bands there is a very easy way to get rid of them without destroying that works absolutely perfekt on the ones with the metal clasp. Just use a carabiner clip for like climbing.Get inside the band make your hand small und use the carabiner in like a circle around your hand. Very easy way to get it off and on your (or someone else’s) hand. That’s what I always did
There is another style of fabric ones, those use a metal ring that's then crimped on. In my experience the easiest way is to just get them loose enough that you can slip them over your hand (while being tight enough to not slip on their own) before they are crimped
I was given one of these at something recently.1st time I've seen them instead of the plastic ones. Thought it would be cool to recycle as a loop for keeping cables tidy in my bag, tried for an age but couldnt get it off ended up just crushing the plastic toggle with pliers. We don't get plastic straws here now though so hope paper ones work
All I ever get are the nonwoven plastic "paper" with and adhesive and anti-tamper perforations. I'd try ethanol, isopropanol, acetone and cigarette lighter fluid. Different adhesives are susceptible to different solvents. LPL used an alcohol in a syringe and a scalpel to remove and replace a holographic security sticker covering a padlock keyway.
Super nice! This has always had my attention, for I used to do more than 15 metal festivals a year over here in Europe. Unfortunately for us, these little plastic locking rings are sort of the soft close option and we don't have them. Over here, it's a smal piece of aluminium tubing with similar dimensions and they get crushed shut with amphenol pliers. So a tamper-kit would consist of a dremmel and replacement tubes. Along with those pliers, for they leave a very recognisable toolmark. Not the safest kit when all participants have had their beer, whisky and bands... Thanks again though! P
Looks like an automotive fuel line disconnect tool would work great as a shim for these. Its the same type of retention as a lot of metal fuel line connections.
Funny, I was at an E-sports event last weekend and they used wrist bands similair these so visitors could move in and out of the arena, we shimmed them with a key to get them off for the night.
As a note to the snaps video. When I was young we had a band like these at Disney world. I took mine off using a knife. My dad cut a button off the bottom most button of my little yellow rain coat. I was maybe 6 or 8. He then snipped a hole in the wrist band and it became removable. Resuable...
For the fabric wristbands: Just twist them until the teeth can't bite, and only loosen them a bit instead of take it off. Then you can just slip it off your wrist with a small amount of work, would do that like 5x a day whenever I wasn't gonna get my tag checked.
You missed an even easier solution that doesn't require any modification at all: while the wristband is off, slide the bead off and put it on backwards (so that the loop of fabric enters the smooth side), then pull it through just enough to stick your hand in... and stick your hand in. drawback of this method is that you cannot cinch it behind your wrist (you can still hold the bead in place and contort your hand through like a bangle if you want). however, you have as many go's as you need (if you make it too loose, just pull the bead off and start again, and you don't need any tools at all and can revert it to a normal state with absolute ease.
The cloth wrist bands I've come across had a metal clasp that was crimped onto the cloth using a hand tool. I wonder if anything can be done with those. It's crimped on pretty tight and could probably tear the fabric easily.
OMFG. I didn't know it was as simple as using a straw. I'm totally using this to spite the one-way things and keep the wristbands as souvenirs after festivals.
@@magnusE7 I've tried that before, and it didn't work. I just want to keep the thing after the festival without having to cut the band or spend half an hour with wire cutters working next to my wrist.
This was more useful than you could ever know. Rockville uses these as the tickets. It is a great keepsake but cutting it off really hurts. Not physically, unless you dislocate your wrist. I've seen someone do it.
If you don't have a straw, you can twist it untill the surface gets so hard, that the teeth can not enter the fabric anymore - can be done with one hand - work every time. After pull it over the other way round and wear it a little loose.
Have you spent any more time on the clasps at 1:54? I got a convention wristband recently with the bottom-middle side-entry sarlacc pit clasp, and I ended up cutting it (it got way too tight while trying straw tricks, breaking teeth, etc), but would love to be better armed for next year's convention.
A couple of ideas: 1. snip the little straw piece lengthwise then roll the fabric in it like a cigarette, as thin as possible. 2. when rethreading the cloth, roll one end into the other (again, like a cigarette); it should allow it to be pulled through without even touching the teeth
Did something much like this while on a ship last year. I don't think they are running the bands now but a lot of people just put the plastic piece in a door and closed it to break it off. Then they would sew them or cut and melt the ends off. I did the straw trick with mine once but honestly even after being 70 feet under water I was more irritated by the ends than anything else though I have heard people complain about them for just being wet. Once the tails are trimmed off I am fine wearing them wet or not but seeing the trick to melt the ends will go into my playbook for sure. 2 weeks straight of wearing the band I was so happy to get to my car and cut the stupid thing off. Ever do any security testing on a ship? I am sure there are some interesting things there for sure. The older RCCL ships use the magnetic stripe cards for a charge account as well as a door key with a barcode for getting on and off the ship. The newer ships (Oasis, Quantum, and theoretically the Icon class) use NFC for the doors but not sure about anything else. Could be interesting to look at for sure. I had a good laugh with one of the officers in the engineering department talking about some stuff and suggested packing a skeleton in a suitcase to see what security says. He laughed and said "No don't do that, please." I am still considering going over to the Museum of Osteology and picking up a full animal skeleton to pack into my suitcase though and then stick in a camera so I can hear and possibly see the reaction. Would still love to be a fly on the wall to see what happens though.
An even easier method for this style wristband that I've used before is twisting the two end pieces tight enough that the plastic will slide over. It's easiest with help from another person, but can be done alone if you use your teeth to slide the plastic piece.
Glastonbury festival years ago had this fabric type of band but with metal instead of plastic and no teeth. They put it in a clamp (after its on your wrist and dent the metal with a press so its malformed and traps the fabric between the crushed metal. Still can be loosened if you work the metal a bit but definately not as easy.
Every music festival I ever went to used these, with only a couple of exception. Not only are they harder to tamper with, but they are much more comfortable to wear for extended periods of time - I used to keep them on my wrist for years as a memento when I was younger.
Did this for PAX this year for the vaccine bands. I think you were supposed to either wear them all of PAX or cut them off and get a new one when you come back. Using the straw trick when I got back to my room for the night saved me a lot of time I'd otherwise spend in the vaccine verification lines.
Its exactly how a shark bite connection removal tool works. It just moves the teeth out of the way so you can remove the fitting. Good luck with dealing with all the emails. Hope everyone is staying safe, and taking care.
I got one of those bands on right now (actually a whole bunch of them, but most of them arent interesting) which is like a two part thing, it has an outer shell that rotates while the inner core with the teeth stays still, which, to my knowledge, renders some ways of removing them unusable, i think the straw trick might work tho, ill give it a try. Actually, i just noticed that all of my wristbands that come from bigger music festivals that arent the metal clasp use this kind of concept
Wristbands are the one bonus to my having super wide wrists. My arm just basically goes thunk into my hand with very little narrowing. So any of these just slip right off. Sure, I've never been able to wear women's watches or bracelets but hey.
Interesting using a straw to remove the fabric from the barbs. reminds me of in medieval times soldiers would carry feathers and sticking them into the wound and around the barb; thus allowing the arrow to be pulled out without catching on the wounded persons insides.
The straw is basically the same concept of car quick connect fittings found on fuel, refrigerant, and evap emissions tubes or hoses. :) The little tool shims in there to spread the fingers.
Twist the ends tight, then wiggle the lock off. It may take a bit of practice at first, but once you have managed it 2-3 times, it will become really easy. Melting the sharp tips of the teeth off may cause a problem at venues where the staff actually pulls on the lock to see if you tampered with it - yes, this is a common practice.
Once you get the plastic bit out, just put it in reverse and then put the band on your wrist. Now since the plastic is in reverse, it would be easy to take it out but it would grab into the band if you try to tighten it. This isn't ideal but it is almost zero effort.
Dev sir, I present the following challenge time! Show us what you can do with the old fashioned "Event Ink hand Stamps" I am sure some events still use the old ink stamp system actually yes they are; I remember in 2019 Chicago Auto Show used that method. I am curious if one were to apply something to their skin before receiving the stamp, could you copy or reapply it....
What about NFC enabled wristbands? Would a video on these be redundant, or are some of these wristbands worth digging into? The disposable ones are easy to copy but some of the more substantial or durable ones seem to be more sophisticated.
how about loop over the fabric, and slide the clamp backwards? I guess it would maybe be a bit too loose. I'm also thinking that 3d printed custom ones would be a great idea like mentioned in the previous video. Built for re-use so you don't have to tamper or buy multiple
Those wrist bands are easy to get off. You can twist the tails in to a rope, pull the ring off while twisting the ring with the twist of the tails with ease. Refitting is just as easy by twisting the tail ends and then twisting whilst inserting in to the slip band, if it stuck, a screwdriver, cocktail stick or something that can be used to push the tails through the slip ring will get your band fixed and no melting of the ring needed!!!
I went to a festival some time back where they had these and I wanted to take it off to lend it to a friend. I just used a thin sheet of aluminium, rolled up and it slid right off. My friend put it on and we removed it later for me to wear. Keep in mind that at this event, as with many others, I'd guess, the guards check the wristbands when you enter to see if they can slide off. If they do, they take them and tell you to leave, so your latter version of this isn't what I'd suggest.
The USPS is getting super picky with not-perfect envelopes. So, if there's a normal 55c stamp on the envelope, it might arrive postage-required with like a $5 fee on it....
It’s always a blast handing him keys and wristbands at random hotels and watching nifty hacks pop out of his brain.
Thanks for being there to film it when he says things like "Hey, check this out."
The whiskey vs. REX sensor story still gives me a laugh.
I won't lie, cheat, steal or tolerate those who do... but make things do something differently than their designers intended? Yeah, I'm in.
She's the best ☺️👍
💚🍐💚👍
@@DeviantOllam there is a way to gt them off that doesn't require any tampering, you use a plastic carrier bag, i found a video of it here th-cam.com/video/DJabc56yQsA/w-d-xo.html
As a professional event organizer, I hate this series. Now I know how building security, the cops and lock companies feel lol. Keep up the great work.
Just wait until you see what people do to those secure phone bags. They cost a lot to replace.
How does one go from amateur event organizer to professional event organizer...?
@@Msantor1605 Presumably when you stop making random events as a volunteer and get hired by a company to do it.
@ ahh, so a paycheck. In that case, I would never want to amateur event organize...
@@Msantor1605 Simple: when you organize an event, instead of saying it’s for amateurs, say it’s for professionals. ;)
I work as a stagehand. At one music fest I work every year they switched to these wristbands instead of lanyards for our working pass. They included a little RFID tag so that if I go somewhere I'm not allowed, like artist catering, security will immediately be alerted. Problem is that I'm doing a weeks worth of eating, sleeping, showering, and a lot of manual labor with this thing on my wrist, trying the whole time not to tighten it. It's a real PITA. So thanks for the trick. I'm gonna have to try it out as soon as I can.
Yeah I'd give the event organizers a hard nope on any one way tightening anything on my body while working (also do stagehand work). Not fun. But I like that they are TRYING...
“Security will be alerted” sounds like a load of hot garbage. I work at an airport and our badges are RFID for time clocks and entry as well as higher security clearance areas. It just beeps at you and doesn’t grant access, in somewhere as secure as having federal customs agents working there
@@pws3rd170 interesting. I suppose what it does in my context is save the bullshit security team they hire from checking every pass as you walk in the door.
@@stephenwilliams163 if there are any access points like that that are kinda ambiguous you should test it out. I assume the RFID let’s you either open doors or turnstiles, and in reality it should just deny unauthorized users access. Obviously don’t go through, hang back aways and see if security actually shows up. And if by some miracle they do and then pull data logs, then track you down “sorry I got confused on where I was supposed to go” should suffice
@@pws3rd170 I ain't too stressed about it. Only places I'm not allowed with my working pass is artist catering and the green rooms. I'm usually working too much to care
With the fabric wristbands you can also just twist the fabric tight and work the clasp down. A 2 minute no tools solution.
This is how I've done it in the past too
Was going to post this!
Came here to suggest just that. That twisting trick also works with tight knots in plastic bags.
Newer ones have teeth separate from the outer housing. So they spin freely and you can't get them to rotate. Also the one I had had two sets of teeth which makes the straw thing harder.
@@bakirev pull the plastic piece a little tighter while spinning to release the teeth.
Excited to see if this series continues, maybe those wrist bands that stick to itself but has the tamper evident thing on the sticky part
the classic "european" ones, would love to hear some handy solutions for these
@@ancientpyro4598 solvents mainly, even just keeping it under water for a while will let you slide it larger so you can then just take it off your wrist
isopropyl alcohol?
@@MadUncleAndy should work but all that can damage the band and especially ink on it
Cut it, tape the skin side. People don't look that close, usually just flash them anyways.
There's a third type. It looks like paper, but it's some sort of plastic. They glue the ends in place and they have this pattern of cuts like anti tamper stickers. Steam isn't an option when you got it on your wrist, isopropyl alcohol loosen the glue but also smeared the ink/writing on the band. Any tips?
Try a hair dryer, low enough heat you won't burn yourself, but the glue should just soften up
Just cut your arm off and slide the wristband off. Then just put your arm back on. When you need to put the bracelet back on, just remove your arm again and do the same process in reverse.
Nonwoven textile made from HDPE or PP fibre, e.g. Tyvek. I'm actually usually comfy wearing those for a 4-day party but glue seepage or bad fit has made it a bit of a hassle on some rare occasions.
I will have to pick up a bunch and do some testing 😁
Do you have any chapstick or equivalent lip-balm? Smear a bit before you stick it down and the heat-softening works a lot easier.
It does take a few seconds of prep and, depending on the scale of security theatre, a notion of social manipulation too but it'll slide right off.
Looking forward to anyone with better techniques in the comments. I've learned more from just trying things suggested in the comments on Dev's and about 6 other channels than from several hundred hours of "formal training." You lot are fucking awesome.
There is also a second style for these fabric ones:
instead of plastic the clip is made of aluminum which gets squished with pliers.
I've only seen them on multi day music festivals (eg the german metal festival Wacken uses them).
Well For those i'd Just snap it of and replace it With something of the Same color
in my experience 2 small flathead screwdrivers might be able to loosen them enough to slide the band out. back in isnt really possible though, but if you dont slide it out all the way, just enough to get your hand out, you are set.
@@flatcapguy0146 The specific way in which they are clamped is part of the verification check that happens when you go from the camping place area to the actual festival stage area. Security was feeling the clip on every person that went through, at least when i visited the NatureOne festival.
You would have to replace the clip with something of the same color, material feel and clamp/press impression on both sides of the clip to pass security. Good luck managing that on the fly in a town in the middle of nowhere.
@@silphone i did Not know that thanks For the info
I had a similar clip which in fact had metal spikes that were squished into the fabric. You can cut two aluminum stripes out of a beer can or snap a double edged shaving razor blade into two pieces and stick it alongside the fabric band to block the spikes and just pull it off.
Big fan, thanks for all the content. I remember watching this when it came out but never dealt with these before.
The twist method doesn’t work anymore the inside teeth spin
Shimming with straw from the wrist side worked a treat. Just had to get it wrapped around one side of fabric and get it worked into the lock, sliding it tighter once it place. Opened enough to take off and will put back on and pull shim out
Thanks for everything you do
If you twist up the fabric band tight enough against itself, it will become too rigid for the teeth to bite and you can slide the plastic lock off without any tools.
I just posted this trick before I read all the comments. Lol. If you twist the stopper in the opposite direction that the tails are twisted, makes it slide off even easier!
Just tried it on a wristband that I've had laying around as a souvenir.
It has seen a lot of wear on a multi-day festival back in ~2019: frayed edges, slight damage to the fabric right under the teeth. Twisting still worked, only for the frayed end I had to
shim. Had no straw, used an old business card (thin & glossy) - cut off a piece, rolled i up a bit, it worked just as well.
Also tried the trick with melting the plastic teeth slightly. Works wonders! HOWEVER, with a jet lighter, the teeth might briefly catch on fire - good for sliding, not as good if the clasp is colored/white or if you you know you might need to pass close inspection.
I don't care about close inspection in this case, nobody's going to check it anymore.
Anyways, on festivals I really like, I'll gladly pay for the ticket and keep any tampering just for my own comfort.
I was doing this at least 10 years ago at music festivals. Such an easy "hack"
There are actually also ones that have an outer, free spinning ring, to stop you from twisting them!
*positive engagement due to DeviantOllam being cool to people*
Cloth ones you can also twist the tails very tight, then “unscrew” the plastic stopper off In the opposite direction of the tightly twisted tails. Twisting the tails makes the material more……..dense? The interior teeth then can’t grab it very well when twisting it off. No tools required. 😎
Very awesome, I should try to demo that next time
That was my technique when I was stuck in one and it was bothering my wrist.
@@DeviantOllam Organizers apparently know about this, the last music festival I was at had the plastic piece with a freely rotating shroud to prevent it from being twisted off.
@@twiceineverymoment fascinating
I got the third part recommended to me, so I found the first and started there. I don't think it'll end at the third episode now that I'm seeing your other thumbnails on the side x'D I love your humor and wholesomeness, definitely needed that rn, thank you!
"I'd rather you just give lunch to a homeless person ..." puts you up there with Bram Moolenaar in my book...wish more folks were like that. Thank you!
right?!
I must say i love this chanel. I saved the my job like 1 grand this week. 2 keys and only 2 keys can open the tool crib at work. The nearest tect to come let us back in was like 1 week out and we couldn't work without access to that room. Then i remembered the trick with Request to Exit Sensors and the upside down air can. So with permission i tried and vola. We got in.
Thank you. Yes sir I know you want stuff to flow from you to us *but* so much already flows from you to us. *and* your kindness is what I want to see more of in the world. Hence people will donate to you, Bosnian Bill, Lock Picking Lawyer, et al.
Thank you.
I encountered one of these fabric wristbands recently for a convention. I also came up with the idea of using a straw to shim the teeth, but I hadn't thought of blunting the teeth for easy adjustments. I think I might put together a little travel friendly tool kit for the next trip to make future experiments easier.
Brilliant little tricks with these. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the continual great content, Dev. Always fast to click when I see you posted a video. Keep it up brother.
Very important for music festivals
The fabric ones I've seen have always been clamped with a metal thing and I've never seen the plastic clasp before. Those sure won't move one bit like this :D (Then again, the last time I've had one of those wrist bands was like 10 years ago so who knows what the scene is like now)
+1 Yeah when i saw the thumbnail i was really hoping the video was on the aluminium(?) crimp fabric bands
The metal ones are "safer" of course, shimming should still work but you are probably better off just making them _just_ large enough to get off, while looking like they are not. If you can shim them, you can pick how tight they are yourself so you only need to mess with them once.
Excellent. If I could go back in time I'd live my life as a non-harming anarchist, bypassing every system I could just because i could.
Hi! you got my subscribe on this one! I wanted to keep my Interceltic Festival wristband in a good shape and I came up with the idea of cutting semi strong plastic and putting it around the fabric, it worked!
i have to wear those all the time at work a straw cut down and slit plus twisting the band really tight (or just twisting the band and unscrewing the plastic collar) works a treat
These video's are so much fun to watch. For what it's worth, I don't see how these tips can be misused except for comfort, and thank you for that! Well it could be misused if a place is very stupid in how they manage them. And in those cases, they'll learn eventually. :)
Preface: My hands are by no means huge, but they are on the big side. I've pissed off so many hospital staff because I would always just slide my wristband off to go to sleep (i've had various medical issues). They would even tighten it to where it's just before the point of being too tight. The staff would eventually give up.
Knowing that this series has a few more parts is really exciting.
There are also the paper/plastic wristbands that have a sticky pad with perforated lines, so that attempting to unstick it will break the wristband. Those can be peeled apart carefully with a playing card.
I have several sets of those folding travel scissors for different bags. Those things are great.
I have a brand new wrist band from a 2024 festival. This one is very clever. It has 2 rows of very pointy teeth that are staggered making the straw method ineffective.. in addition it also has a separate collar on the outside that spins if you try the twist method to get it off. I was able to defeat both by useing a pair of needle nose pliers to grab the inner and outer and twist the band till I got the plastic locking bead off. After that your lighter method worked beautifully against the plastic spikes
TH-cam just recommended this to me. Really cool video! I've had a ton of these from clubs and festivals, and this is really cool, just if you want to keep them, without destroying them.
I just wore this type at this year's daytona 500 while I stayed in the infield for race week, I figured out on day 2 that twisting it a bunch and then pulling back once decently twisted while still twisting will let it come off enough to slip your hand out, the more you do it the easier it gets and I did it a lot over the following days, it hits a point where it dosnt get any easier and it keeps a lot more of that bit when not twisted
I tried this today and had a really hard time with this attempt.
When I got to the event some scalpers taught me a bit of a different solution.
Split the straw, wrap around one side and approach from the wrist side of the assembly. A bit simpler and quicker.
TH-cam recommended this out the blue. It was pretty cool to watch. Thanks.
Glad my drinking straw trick is Deviant-approved! I finally had to turn off notifications on my last comment, haha. Thanks for the follow-up!
As someone who works at a lot of festivals and always get stuck with these, I’ve been using the drinking straw method for years.
Hi Dev, just a thought, I wonder if these bands could be popped and then see how to re-assemble one with just the contents of a hotel room? (Hairdryer, Corby trouser press... etc.)
One trick for the fabric ones is to first twist the 2 outer ends really tight. When they get tight, you start spinning the plastic lock collar. This will help to disengage the teeth. The tight twist helps prevent them from biting again. Can keep spinning the plastic end until it's loose enough to release from the wrist in question.
victorinox has the BEST compact scissors i've ever used. they are usually attached to a knife though, so they are pretty impossible to fly with unless you check them. they are incredibly sharp though and very tiny. my knife that has scissors also has a tiny magnifying lens, with the idea that you can use it to repair clothes i think
Very honest and decent of you . Tip my hat to you sir
I have gotten these off before without any tools. Start by grabbing the ring and push it into the band, which compresses some the spikes against the walls, then twisting the other band into a thin string that you can slide loose and free your hand
i saw a similar trick but you pull the fabric through the straw, and push the straw up into the grabby bit, it'll pull out easy enough unless the fabric is too thick.
your way seems like itd work with thicker fabric
This style I've seen at multi day events. (at times they used an aluminum ring that is crimped on, but I've seen the one way rings as well)
Im so glad you did cover this style!
how to social engineer this to not be an issue: "I'm working with food during this event, can you leave it loose or put it around my ankle?"
I learned this from my wife, it was true when she said it. I didn't argue when they offered the same to me.
a massive event I plan on volunteering at this year uses this style of fabric band with embedded rfid tags.
as there's a heavy govt and grey hat presence at the event I was considering putting a piece of copper pipe around the tag.
I guess I don't go to the nice events, I've only had the paper stick on type... still good to know if it ever comes up though.
It would be interesting to see what works for the sticker ones. Solvent and a nylon scraper? That's the obvious first guess, but I've never actually tried it. Maybe cut it carefully and apply a new sticky bit to cover the cut, kinda like replacing the button.
For the cloth bands there is a very easy way to get rid of them without destroying that works absolutely perfekt on the ones with the metal clasp. Just use a carabiner clip for like climbing.Get inside the band make your hand small und use the carabiner in like a circle around your hand. Very easy way to get it off and on your (or someone else’s) hand. That’s what I always did
I have never seen these type of wrist bands…. I’ll have to keep an eye out for them.
There is another style of fabric ones, those use a metal ring that's then crimped on. In my experience the easiest way is to just get them loose enough that you can slip them over your hand (while being tight enough to not slip on their own) before they are crimped
I was given one of these at something recently.1st time I've seen them instead of the plastic ones.
Thought it would be cool to recycle as a loop for keeping cables tidy in my bag, tried for an age but couldnt get it off ended up just crushing the plastic toggle with pliers.
We don't get plastic straws here now though so hope paper ones work
Fiskars, torille!
All I ever get are the nonwoven plastic "paper" with and adhesive and anti-tamper perforations. I'd try ethanol, isopropanol, acetone and cigarette lighter fluid. Different adhesives are susceptible to different solvents. LPL used an alcohol in a syringe and a scalpel to remove and replace a holographic security sticker covering a padlock keyway.
Super nice! This has always had my attention, for I used to do more than 15 metal festivals a year over here in Europe.
Unfortunately for us, these little plastic locking rings are sort of the soft close option and we don't have them.
Over here, it's a smal piece of aluminium tubing with similar dimensions and they get crushed shut with amphenol pliers.
So a tamper-kit would consist of a dremmel and replacement tubes. Along with those pliers, for they leave a very recognisable toolmark.
Not the safest kit when all participants have had their beer, whisky and bands...
Thanks again though!
P
Looks like an automotive fuel line disconnect tool would work great as a shim for these. Its the same type of retention as a lot of metal fuel line connections.
Hahaha you have so much fun doing what you do
Thank you! just preserved my and a friend's con wristbands with a straw from the rubbish bin
Funny, I was at an E-sports event last weekend and they used wrist bands similair these so visitors could move in and out of the arena, we shimmed them with a key to get them off for the night.
PGL Antwerp?
@@matmoome Stockholm
As a note to the snaps video. When I was young we had a band like these at Disney world. I took mine off using a knife. My dad cut a button off the bottom most button of my little yellow rain coat. I was maybe 6 or 8. He then snipped a hole in the wrist band and it became removable. Resuable...
Then you have the fabric ones with metal clips. And you also have the ones made in paper with an adhesive often used in amusement parks.
Remember to burn the edges of the ribbon to avoid it fraying everywhere
For the fabric wristbands: Just twist them until the teeth can't bite, and only loosen them a bit instead of take it off. Then you can just slip it off your wrist with a small amount of work, would do that like 5x a day whenever I wasn't gonna get my tag checked.
You missed an even easier solution that doesn't require any modification at all:
while the wristband is off, slide the bead off and put it on backwards (so that the loop of fabric enters the smooth side), then pull it through just enough to stick your hand in... and stick your hand in.
drawback of this method is that you cannot cinch it behind your wrist (you can still hold the bead in place and contort your hand through like a bangle if you want). however, you have as many go's as you need (if you make it too loose, just pull the bead off and start again, and you don't need any tools at all and can revert it to a normal state with absolute ease.
The cloth wrist bands I've come across had a metal clasp that was crimped onto the cloth using a hand tool. I wonder if anything can be done with those. It's crimped on pretty tight and could probably tear the fabric easily.
I was wound tight when I got here. I just took a deep breath and relaxed, lol.
OMFG. I didn't know it was as simple as using a straw. I'm totally using this to spite the one-way things and keep the wristbands as souvenirs after festivals.
There are simpler method, you twist the band and screw the plastic ring the other way.
@@magnusE7 I've tried that before, and it didn't work.
I just want to keep the thing after the festival without having to cut the band or spend half an hour with wire cutters working next to my wrist.
This was more useful than you could ever know. Rockville uses these as the tickets. It is a great keepsake but cutting it off really hurts. Not physically, unless you dislocate your wrist. I've seen someone do it.
If you don't have a straw, you can twist it untill the surface gets so hard, that the teeth can not enter the fabric anymore - can be done with one hand - work every time. After pull it over the other way round and wear it a little loose.
Have you spent any more time on the clasps at 1:54? I got a convention wristband recently with the bottom-middle side-entry sarlacc pit clasp, and I ended up cutting it (it got way too tight while trying straw tricks, breaking teeth, etc), but would love to be better armed for next year's convention.
Thanks again. Love Your work. 💻🪓
Never seen those scissors. Neat
A couple of ideas:
1. snip the little straw piece lengthwise then roll the fabric in it like a cigarette, as thin as possible.
2. when rethreading the cloth, roll one end into the other (again, like a cigarette); it should allow it to be pulled through without even touching the teeth
Looking forward to parts 3 to 27 here :)!
Did something much like this while on a ship last year. I don't think they are running the bands now but a lot of people just put the plastic piece in a door and closed it to break it off. Then they would sew them or cut and melt the ends off. I did the straw trick with mine once but honestly even after being 70 feet under water I was more irritated by the ends than anything else though I have heard people complain about them for just being wet. Once the tails are trimmed off I am fine wearing them wet or not but seeing the trick to melt the ends will go into my playbook for sure. 2 weeks straight of wearing the band I was so happy to get to my car and cut the stupid thing off.
Ever do any security testing on a ship? I am sure there are some interesting things there for sure. The older RCCL ships use the magnetic stripe cards for a charge account as well as a door key with a barcode for getting on and off the ship. The newer ships (Oasis, Quantum, and theoretically the Icon class) use NFC for the doors but not sure about anything else. Could be interesting to look at for sure. I had a good laugh with one of the officers in the engineering department talking about some stuff and suggested packing a skeleton in a suitcase to see what security says. He laughed and said "No don't do that, please." I am still considering going over to the Museum of Osteology and picking up a full animal skeleton to pack into my suitcase though and then stick in a camera so I can hear and possibly see the reaction. Would still love to be a fly on the wall to see what happens though.
An even easier method for this style wristband that I've used before is twisting the two end pieces tight enough that the plastic will slide over. It's easiest with help from another person, but can be done alone if you use your teeth to slide the plastic piece.
Glastonbury festival years ago had this fabric type of band but with metal instead of plastic and no teeth. They put it in a clamp (after its on your wrist and dent the metal with a press so its malformed and traps the fabric between the crushed metal. Still can be loosened if you work the metal a bit but definately not as easy.
Seems like overkill but I see why they do it, it is a huge festival and people are always trying to cheat past the security.
Every music festival I ever went to used these, with only a couple of exception. Not only are they harder to tamper with, but they are much more comfortable to wear for extended periods of time - I used to keep them on my wrist for years as a memento when I was younger.
Did this for PAX this year for the vaccine bands. I think you were supposed to either wear them all of PAX or cut them off and get a new one when you come back. Using the straw trick when I got back to my room for the night saved me a lot of time I'd otherwise spend in the vaccine verification lines.
one less barrier in the way
Its exactly how a shark bite connection removal tool works. It just moves the teeth out of the way so you can remove the fitting. Good luck with dealing with all the emails. Hope everyone is staying safe, and taking care.
I got one of those bands on right now (actually a whole bunch of them, but most of them arent interesting) which is like a two part thing, it has an outer shell that rotates while the inner core with the teeth stays still, which, to my knowledge, renders some ways of removing them unusable, i think the straw trick might work tho, ill give it a try.
Actually, i just noticed that all of my wristbands that come from bigger music festivals that arent the metal clasp use this kind of concept
ok please tell me you will be doing a part 3 where you cover those reinforced/non tearable paper wristbands?
You're a legend! Thanks!
2:37 A M O G U S
You can cut the straw verticaly, opening it up, then slide it from wrist side so you dont have to fight the teeth to get it in
Wristbands are the one bonus to my having super wide wrists. My arm just basically goes thunk into my hand with very little narrowing. So any of these just slip right off. Sure, I've never been able to wear women's watches or bracelets but hey.
Interesting using a straw to remove the fabric from the barbs. reminds me of in medieval times soldiers would carry feathers and sticking them into the wound and around the barb; thus allowing the arrow to be pulled out without catching on the wounded persons insides.
You can twist the fabric quite tightly and then the teeth fit into the grooves of the twists and you can twist the plastic bead right off
The straw is basically the same concept of car quick connect fittings found on fuel, refrigerant, and evap emissions tubes or hoses. :) The little tool shims in there to spread the fingers.
Twist the ends tight, then wiggle the lock off. It may take a bit of practice at first, but once you have managed it 2-3 times, it will become really easy.
Melting the sharp tips of the teeth off may cause a problem at venues where the staff actually pulls on the lock to see if you tampered with it - yes, this is a common practice.
Once you get the plastic bit out, just put it in reverse and then put the band on your wrist.
Now since the plastic is in reverse, it would be easy to take it out but it would grab into the band if you try to tighten it.
This isn't ideal but it is almost zero effort.
Metal crimp ones though?
Dev sir, I present the following challenge time! Show us what you can do with the old fashioned "Event Ink hand Stamps" I am sure some events still use the old ink stamp system actually yes they are; I remember in 2019 Chicago Auto Show used that method. I am curious if one were to apply something to their skin before receiving the stamp, could you copy or reapply it....
What about NFC enabled wristbands? Would a video on these be redundant, or are some of these wristbands worth digging into? The disposable ones are easy to copy but some of the more substantial or durable ones seem to be more sophisticated.
how about loop over the fabric, and slide the clamp backwards? I guess it would maybe be a bit too loose. I'm also thinking that 3d printed custom ones would be a great idea like mentioned in the previous video. Built for re-use so you don't have to tamper or buy multiple
so since this appearently turns into a series, what about the ones with metal crimps? these are the ones i have encounterd the most.
Those wrist bands are easy to get off. You can twist the tails in to a rope, pull the ring off while twisting the ring with the twist of the tails with ease. Refitting is just as easy by twisting the tail ends and then twisting whilst inserting in to the slip band, if it stuck, a screwdriver, cocktail stick or something that can be used to push the tails through the slip ring will get your band fixed and no melting of the ring needed!!!
I went to a festival some time back where they had these and I wanted to take it off to lend it to a friend. I just used a thin sheet of aluminium, rolled up and it slid right off. My friend put it on and we removed it later for me to wear. Keep in mind that at this event, as with many others, I'd guess, the guards check the wristbands when you enter to see if they can slide off. If they do, they take them and tell you to leave, so your latter version of this isn't what I'd suggest.
My trick for this is to twist the fabric (although it's a bit more temper evident) so the teeth can't catch. I was able to get out of one that way!
The USPS is getting super picky with not-perfect envelopes. So, if there's a normal 55c stamp on the envelope, it might arrive postage-required with like a $5 fee on it....
hi, I wonder if it would be easier to use a side-cutter instead of an end-cutter
Haha, that feel when you have that same small multitool
Is part three going to be the paper kind like is commonly used at carnivals?