I've taken apart a lot of Southards, probably more than most folks, as I have a pile of them and I have more custom scales for Southards than I have Southards, so I like to rotate the scales periodically.
I can tell you from experience that I've never handled a Southard that wouldn't flip reasonably well if it was put back together properly (assuming it hadn't been damaged). There are a few things to watch for, though:
- make sure you have the flat side lined up on all the round parts that have a flattened side (be particularly careful with the pivot sleeve, I've seen folks deform the pivot area titanium badly enough to mess up the flat spot in a way that causes a bump that will screw up the pivot)
- make sure to put the pivot assembly pieces in the same way they came out (if you can't get the knife to flip right even when centered, try reversing the pivot screw assembly)
- make sure the washers are between the bearings and the frame, not the bearings and the blade
- do the screw tightening dance -- I screw in all the frame screws and the pivot screw until they're screwed in, but not tight, then wedge some folded paper between the blade and the non-lock side of the frame, then tighten everything up and remove the folded paper, this usually has the centering perfect on the first try, but your mileage may vary)
- watch the pivot screw tightness
- if you have custom scales, be aware that small variations in the thickness of the countersunk area on the scale or LBS piece can sometimes mess with getting the pivot back to its happy place
In any case, relax, don't force things (especially if something isn't seeming to fit, remember those round pieces often have a flat spot) and just redo it until it's right.
I find a finger or two of scotch helps if it's going badly, but I give that advice as a solution to more problems than I should, probably.
Here's an
album of shots of some of my Southards, incidentally. I, uh, like the Southard.
