Literally the first time that I took apart a hub (age six, while fixing a flat by myself for the first time, and with curiosity getting the better of me), I reinstalled the cages backwards.
That's my oldest memory of making a mechanical mistake. I've since taken apart many an old bike having the same assembly error.

The symptom was just as the OP described, and which I attributed to faulty parts at the time.

Years later, preparing the same bike for sale to a neighbor (repainting fully-stripped frame), I discovered my error. I had readjusted the bearings a few times over the years, and by this time the bearing cages were, shall I say, "well worn"!

Here's me on that hard-ridden old bike, the front hub no doubt still grinding, but not too long before I sold it: