[A. G. Maisey]

It would perhaps assist a recommendation if we had a pic of the object, however I have never failed to remove a blade from a hilt by playing heat directly on the blade. I've never used a heat gun, I've never used any sort of chemicals to attempt dissolving the bond. You don't need to get the metal that is in contact with the adhesive all that hot, certainly not hot enough to affect the heat treat, and it is a simple matter to restore the blade once you've got it free of the gunk. I mostly use a gas torch, but I've been doing this sort of stuff for a very long time, its probably safer to use a candle, which is what I use when I'm away from home.

The simplest solution is often the best in any situation, and there's nothing more simple than a bit of heat direct to the blade. Javanese and other Indonesian weapons mostly have their blades fixed to the hilts with adhesive, and that adhesive gives way at about the same temperature as epoxy resin. M'ranggis have been mounting and demounting blades in the way I describe for hundreds of years.

With the torch I clamp the blade about mid point in a vice, wrapped in newspaper of course so the vice doesn't mark the blade, then I play the torch over both sides of the blade and at the same time work the hilt back and forth with my other hand. You can make sure the blade doesn't get too hot by continually testing the heat in the blade a few inches from where you're playing the torch.

With a candle, I wrap cloth around the blade and grip it with one hand, grip the hilt with the other hand and hold the blade over the candle flame, alternating sides.

I've probably demounted a few hundred old blades in this way since I started in this game.