Gear Inspection

I set my shield concave-side up on a folded felt patch atop the oak desk. Night had settled in, and the dust from the front porch needed clearing before stand-down. Taking the tip of a clean cotton swab, I worked methodically around the inner bracket where the arm harness joins the plate, dislodging fine grains of cedar grit from the afternoon drills. The warm pool of light from the desk lamp highlighted every groove. The rivet held solid; no structural compromise. Once the rim was buffed clean against the cloth, I leaned back against a heavy wooden tape dispenser and let my frame cool down.