Thanks for the references Rhod!!!
hidden CLOUD said "it will shoot 10-15C higher", referring to iso- boiling point compared to safole. This would mean 244-249 C, since safrole's B.P. is 234 C. Well, SWIDR's safrole boils at 230-234 C, and iso- boils at exactly 16 C higher (246-250 C). This has been repeated multiple times with the exact same results. SWIDR has never been able to get iso- to boil >250 C, nor has SWIDR seen the broad temp range that Rhod's Isomerization Review referred to ("the trans isomer boils at approx 10°C higher than the cis, so the isosafrole isomers are usually collected as a mixture over a temperature range"). SWIDR would expect that isomerizations have been successful, however is still stumped by what not-ketone really is (slightly lighter in color, less viscous, boils 5-10 C higher than ketone, and does not aminate). Parameters were as per buffered performic (scaled up to 3 mol) and oxone (scaled up to 1 mol) oxidations from Rhod's web page.
TRISMUS!!!