Originally Posted by
giskard
The problem is that in removing the stamut I'll damage the carbon steerer tube, and given that carbon is prone to sudden failure when the surface is damaged, I didn't think it'd be a safe option.
Well, of course, if you push it down or hammer it down, then of course you will damage the steerer. That's why I use my self-built starnut remover tool - it gently pulls the starnut out of the steerer tube. It does this keeping the starnut perfecly coaxial to the steerer, minimizing scratches.