Is it still possible to make cast iron skillets as good as the old ones?

You always hear people talk about old cast iron vs. new cast iron: the old stuff is lighter, smoother, and generally better, while the new stuff is heavy, pebbled, and generally a poor imitation of what cast iron ought to be. So fans of cast iron go to great lengths to find the old stuff, pay good money for it, &c., and look down on Lodge Logic and similar pans. So here's my question: why is this? If we can make high-quality knives at a relatively affordable price, why can't we make cast iron pans as good as the old ones? We're not exactly talking about Damascus steel.