I suggest that you grip the blade with your bare hand about halfway along its length.
I also suggest that you lose the cloth , it is entirely, absolutely, 100% not necessary, and is as Alam Shah says, a fire risk.
Grip the hilt with your bare hand; the hilt does not need any protection from anything, because the flame is not going to go anywhere near it, mainly because you are not going to burn your hand, are you?
Play the candle flame over the entire sorsoran area and alternate the sides of the blade that you heat.
You will feel the hilt becoming a little warm, and you will feel the blade becoming quite warm; when the blade is uncomfortable to hold in your bare hand, stop heating it.
The heat in the blade will continue to travel up the pesi.
Using a piece of old rag so that you can grip the blade without burning your hand or cutting it, grip the heated area firmly and gently try twisting the hilt, do not force it; as you twist you also need to exert a gentle force to pull it away from the blade, if you press your two thumbs together you can better control this force.
It only takes a few minutes for the blade to get too hot to hold, and it only takes a few more minutes for it to cool down, so you can repeat this procedure a few times.
If you don't move it during the first day's session, or second day's session, you just keep on trying until you do.
This is not a real old keris, and you should not have too much difficulty with it.
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