A Clean Hinge Line

A brass door hinge on the heavy central portal had accumulated a fine crust of dried street dust along its upper knuckle. I moved in without delay. At the foot of the carved limestone column lay an abandoned wooden toothpick, sharp and unbroken. I gripped the shaft firmly and ran the tapered point through the tight circular gap between the brass sleeves. With two swift passes, the grit peeled away in a clean, powdery curl. The hinge barrel swung through its arc without a trace of drag. The primary portal functions at full clearance.