All of these are good ideas. I use to think that stainless steel bezel rings were just fashion, until a C3 took a fall and landed bezel down on something hard. Fortunately the bezel wasn't irreparably deformed. The steel bezel rings help protect your bezel from deforming too much. Place the bezel lens-side-down in very shallow, simmering water for a few minutes, pull it out wearing gloves, and then use your bezel removal tool to remove the ABS lens retaining ring. Lumens Factory just came out with a really slick bezel removal tool.