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Solved with a little bit of LFGSS generosity.
Another fuckwit question: I was putting some (26mm) riser bars in a (26mm) quill stem earlier because I was bored, and kind of forced them in. The bars were scored in the process. Boo hoo. Then I noticed I'd put them in back-to-front and tried to take them out again, but at some point I had to pry the quill stem open with a spoon handle to get it round a (very slight) bend because it got wedged at a bizarre angle. Once I'd got it out the stem's opening was slightly wider than before, as in it was bent open about 2mm more than it had been before.
Once I had put the bars in the right way round, it closed fine using the bolt.
The stem is a steel one of these:
I know I'm an idiot, but have I done permanent damage?
Is there a way to tell on sight whether a flat bar brake lever is designed for V brakes or callipers?
Trying to plough through eBay listings where this info is usually missing.