Roman Army repair service....

[Imperial Dave]

https://gizmodo.com/how-the-roman-army-repaired-its-armor-far-from-home-2000535559

Seems obvious but thought it worth posting...

[Ian61]

Indeed. Make do and mend.

[Jim Webster]

Interesting. Of course was it a 'native craftsman' or was it a 'native craftsmen' who was also a serving legionary but who had a wife, family, and workshop outside the fortress?

[Imperial Dave]

Or a recently retired one etc...

[Jim Webster]

Or a recently retired one etc...

I'd wonder at how much Roman army retirement meant you could retire in a modern sense. From what I can make out there was a plot of land or cash and apparently the land was about 50 acres.
I suspect the cash was normally given so you could buy your own nearby. We do know from Egypt that some Ptolemaic soldiers did become landlords, installing tenants on land they bought from wages etc.
So a legionary craftsman could well take his money, carry on his trade outside the fort. He's still got contacts, he'll still have old customers. And he could have his land, some land his wife's family has and could put together a reasonable living.

[Imperial Dave]

Exactly...