The Stargazer design works a lot better for me than my Lodge options which includes not only the "Walmart" stuff but, the cook's special editions with their different profile which is a lot better than the $25 Walmart special. That being said, my Stargazer outperforms both of those by a wide...
Hand labor drives the cost a lot and, there is a mark up for people who want to brag about their premium cast iron.
In my case, STARGAZER is a great design, better than Lodge and similar brands. It is also smooth so, no labor at home is needed to smooth things out.