Same problem in Germany. There is no Kamaka retailer in Europe
I ordered my HF-1 from puapua and I'm very happy with it. It's risky to order an ukulele you couldn't try before, but I trusted in the Kamaka quality. When I ransomed it from the customs I was just overwhelmed by its beauty. The sound is perfect, too. Just a slight buzz on the e-string if I play louder. But I think it won't be hard to fix. If you have several copies of a model in a store you can choose the best and avoid these problems.
Now I only play the Kamaka and have started selling the rest of my collection. You can order Koalohas from France and avoid the 20% VAT, but if you want a Kamaka you will have to take the risk. I recommend it.
Ken: Normally you can't just order from Kamaka directly. But sometimes they have special orders that have not been sold in the end. They are sold at the factory directly, but are usually gone within a few days. Best way to know about special orders is to add Sam/Fred Kamaka at facebook, they have a photo album with the available ukuleles. But my guess is they are far more expensive than the regular models.