If it's just you by yourself, here's what I did, roughly described:

-I got a camera tripod. Anything taller than your arm held horizontally at chest level will do.

-I tied a string to it (fishing line), and on the other end of the fishing line, a clothespin. A strong springed one will do better than one with little gripping power.

-Pinched skin with clothespin, and used the weight of my arm (not all of it!) to pull the skin up. I then inserted the needle.

MAKE SURE you use something that grips well! Something stronger than a clothespin would be best. Even an alligator clip. It won't feel very good, but then again neither will a 6ga needle in your hand.

While I was inserting the needle, the skin came out of the clothespin. So I had to reattach with a needle handing half out of my hand. My cat was starting at me the whole time like 'wtf?'.

I did not autoclave my tag. I should have, and I suggest you do. However I have access to 99.5% isopropyl alcohol. I soaked the tag in it for over a week in a boiled glass container. If any bacteria survived that, god bless 'em.

Anyhow. I numbed my hand with ice until I couldn't bear it anymore and inserted the needle. I didn't go in at an optimal angle and the tag ended up a little closer to my index finder bone in my hand (no idea the medical name for it) than I'd like. It's only 1 cm away or so, but it doesn't bother me at all.

The tag slides easily through a Monsterpoint (or some similar name) piercing needle. I used a sterilized (boiled and soaked in alcohol) glass drink mixer for a plunge to push the tag under the skin. Held it closed for ten mins. or so until it held itself, then applied two strips of medical tape.

It's been a few months, but I still have a scar. Probably always will, but it doesn't bother me. I think if I had been a little quicker and smoother with the needle insertion, then it would've healed a little cleaner. But I scar strangely anyways, so it's no big deal.

Prepare for it to be SORE for a few days afterwards, however.

I also took multiviatmins for a week before and after the procedure. I suggest having someone else there to pinch the skin for you. I made an elaborate contraption to pinch and pull it for me, but it wouldn't been a hundred times easier if I had someone there to do it for me.

Robert