Master craftspeople are highly protective of their products and their legacy, and rightly so. I was going to commission a guitar from Kinkade in Bristol. The waiting list is 7 years, and given the age of the maker there's no guarantee it will ever be completed. That's because every build is 100% bespoke and created for the person and the player.
I've had Wals and they were OK. They're quirky things that do what they do very well. I can't understand the premium, but I can understand why they're so protective of their IP and legacy. Good luck to them.