TM 10-8400-203-23 I 3-5.  REPAIR  AND  MAINTENANCE  OF  BODY  ARMOR–Continued I (2) Open  seams  and  broken  stitches  in  outer  shell  and  components.  When  it  is  necessary  to  remove   the outer cover from the vest, open seams and broken stitches may be repaired by using the adhesive patching  cement. Care should be exercised to avoid damaging the vinyl casing. This can be accomplished by opening the seam with a sharp edge tool or other suitable device  to  where  good  stitching  is  encountered. 3-7