Michael Merritt

No paint, no stain, no dye — every color you see is the natural tone of a different species, cut to shape and set flush into the panel. Maple, walnut, cherry, purpleheart, ebony, padauk. The grain does the shading.

I got my start building large, high-end inlay pieces for customers in Jackson, Wyoming. Big commissioned panels — longhorns, bison, horses — hundreds of hand-cut pieces each, weeks of work, hanging on the walls of homes and lodges around the valley.

I loved the work, but those pieces took many hours and the price reflected it. I wanted to make something I could build quickly, price fairly, and put in the hands of everyday people — not just collectors. So, I invented the High Country Wallet: the same real hardwood inlay, the same handmade process, scaled down to something you carry in your pocket every single day. It's more than a wallet, it's a lifestyle.