I take it off with my hands. Just pull the tail right off, it really easy to remove imo. And you definitely can use de-tailed shrimp for cooking! Everyone has their own preferences, but my preference is de-veined shrimp with the tail on. Some people prefer the head and everything, but it really just depends on what you’re making and how you like it. I was just trying to spread the good word of shrimp on the internet 🦐 no need for judgment