From what I understand, Jake left KUSA because they didn't like his idea about a mass produced product, the gt-e1. When he brought it up, it was sort of a don't make it and stay, or make it and leave, because it would be competition against KUSA. The dudes at RWB were not enjoying making kendamas as they used too, causing craft and GT production to go down. GT filled the gap with the GT-E1 so people would still be able to acquire GTs. With RWB not producing more, both GT and KUSA attempted to buy RWB. I believe KUSA was successful in buying a large portion of the company, controlling what is exported, and what may be produced. KUSA is working on a Kaizen 3.0, and new crafts with RWB, as seen on Wyatt Bray's setup at OJO 2018, so there will be more coming with KUSA. Crafts will come back, and GT is making the E1s. Grain Theory is now prototyping on making old ken shapes on new mediums, and working with other companies. They probably plan on making GTs with another USA lathe company, and are also working on collaborations with very different companies such as Rez Ken. We will probably see more progression at Sakura Classic, and possibly Weekend in the Woods, both which Jake is attending, and there may be very interesting new products from both companies. And yes. Crafts are coming back.
As far as I know, the time between Craft drops are just as wide, if not more so. I can't recall the last time KUSA had a Craft drop but it was within the last 5ish months for sure. Same now with RWBs own products. When I first got into RWB about a year and a half ago, they held a pretty stable stock of their own kens and tamas in the 2 shapes they had available then, but now it's similar to waiting for a GT drop too with almost everything selling out as soon as the drop hits. And (and this is all speculation as I have no business/personal contact with Grain Theory or RWB) I don't see KUSA ending any sort of contract with RWB. I don't think they have the same kind of relationship between RWB and GT since they manufactured all of GT's products before now, or even between Sweets and the wood manufacturing company who makes their Homegrowns. It could be a case by case/order by order sort of thing, so if/when they want to reup their stock of Crafts KUSA will just reach out to them again and if RWB isn't too inundated with producing Grain Theory product or their own brand then they'll have that chance to do so. And with GT moving to the mass produced GT-E1, that'll definitely help on that end as well, taking away a lot of the weight from RWB's shoulders in producing more and more for GT compared to KUSA and their own brand of damas.
Wow, if that's all true, then it is the opposite of what I was assuming the current relationships are between kusa and RWB / GT and RWB. Meaning that GT would be the one without a domestic manufacturer. Which would make sense because I heard a GT pro answer a question during a live stream about future releases and said something along the lines of no time soon. I don't want to continue speculating in written form because even this can get glanced over and then get repeated out of context. Anyway I'll keep an eye and ear out for future crafts. Thanks!