SOLVED: Detatch ferrite magnet from iron

Best guess: some adhesive.

Try a knife, place it in the gap, then gently hit it with a light hammer. Increase force until it breaks off. And be really careful to not cut yourself or the table under it (best put a piece of wood under it to protect knife and table). That's how I've separated hard disk magnets from their metal support (and most actually didn't break).