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QUOTE: I do not have a pile of ash or a container full of vermiculite or perlite
Well then, go get some. You can get vermiculite at any place that sells gardening stuff and its very cheap. Wood ash is better but vermiculite will work if you use a LOT of it.
An oven would work but only if you have one with a ramped controller and you programmed it appropriately for the steel you are using. Just putting it in a warm oven won't do it.
I have to assume you plan to work the file by stock removal in which case you want it as soft as you can get it. If you do plan to forge your blade to shape then you don't need to anneal.
Since you asked these questions it seems likely that you are very new to knife making or at least the heat treating part of knife making. In that case, your learning curve would be better served if you put the file aside for now and bought yourself some 1084. Make a few knives from 1084 and learn to heat treat them properly and when you are done you'll know what to do with that file ...
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