Hello Jean,
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Any decent conservator or specialized ivory dealer would be horrified by my ivory heat treatment method in the electric oven but it worked!
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While metal is usually very forgiving, organic materials utilized for fittings (wood, horn, bone/stag, ivory, MOP, etc.) is susceptible to shifts in temperature and, especially, humidity. This could result in short-term damages like cracks but also long-time preservation might be affected... I'd strongly recomment to stick with the traditional candle approach (preferably blocking the hilt from radiating heat with a padded glove) and lots of patience (i.e. many cycles to loosen up a "stubborn" blade). Alan has worked on many more blades than me and if he says this method succeeds then this should be good enough.
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I would not expect that heating & cooling progressively a blade to 120°C could have any effect on the steel blade, do you?
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No, completely harmless.
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But exposing it to a naked gas flame like Pak Ganja could be more harmful?
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IMHO the main problem is the not-so-local application of the heat as well as the much more intense radiating heat possibly affecting the hilt.
Regards,
Kai