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If you "go to town" you'll scratch up the finish and will never get it right. Just lay it on a flat surface and apply moderate pressure. It will remove almost as much metal without causing deep...

You'll scratch up the metal before the exerted pressure comes anywhere near bending/breaking the blade.

It won't do any serious harm. You'll just do more hand sanding at lower grits so it's all good.

Or get a rotary tool with a flex shaft and some flap wheels.. It's cheaper than a new blade :D

I'm not surprised it's taking forever if you're hand-sanding. A pic would be helpful but there are some things not even dremeling will help. In most cases you'd be ok shaving with it and it would...