Refurb gear knob - should I remove it?

From what I have read in the How-to the gear knob just twists and pulls off, but is very stubbern and difficult. I want to have my knob re-finished (ooh-err-missus), but the car is off the road at the mo, so should I attempt to take it off and take it to the re-furbers or wait untill the car is back on the road and drive it to him and have it done in situ? I don't want to take it off if I'm going to have problems with it being loose in the future.

It does basically twist and turn off.

You could give it a little assistance by inserting a flat blade screwdriver underneath it in 2 or 3 places around the shaft and giving a tap with a hammer to loosen it.