ROLR M1

[David Bowen]

ROLR is a young company with a humble but honest origin story. Its founder didn’t come from an engineering background or a machine shop but from the world of illustration and design. He describes himself as more of a “drawer” than an artist—someone who’s always been creative and hands-on, just figuring things out as he went. Life wasn’t glamorous in those early years, but that scrappy, make-it-work attitude became the foundation for what would eventually become ROLR. He’d spent plenty of time fixing things with whatever was available, often in less-than-ideal conditions, and that practical mindset started shaping his view of tools and what actually makes them useful.

Like many of us who’ve carried multi-tools over the years, he’d gone through the usual suspects—Leatherman, Gerber, SOG, Victorinox—each packed with features but somehow missing the mark. They either broke, felt clunky, or just didn’t do the basics well enough. He realized that for all the bells and whistles, what he really needed was something simpler, tougher, and more focused. After tearing a few of those tools apart and salvaging what he could, the idea began forming to create something that wasn’t overdesigned or overloaded—just a tool that worked.

That idea eventually evolved into ROLR and its first product, the M1. The goal wasn’t to reinvent the wheel, but to make one that rolls better. ROLR’s philosophy revolves around doing a few things exceptionally well instead of chasing feature lists. The M1 is the physical result of that mindset: a compact, purpose-built tool born from years of frustration and a desire to create something better. Now that it’s in hand, we get to see if it lives up to the vision behind it.


Pliers and Operation

First impressions mean a lot, and the M1 put a smile on my face as soon as I opened the package. I’ve carried a Knipex Cobra for a while because I sometimes need a dedicated pair of pliers. As a guy who helped start this site, I don’t always carry a multitool—sounds crazy, but most days a compact set of pliers and a driver cover the jobs I run into. So when I came across the M1, I was immediately interested. It promised the pliers I already rely on but with some multipurpose functionality added in, and it had the potential to lighten my carry while freeing up pocket space.

Right out of the box the M1 impressed me because it gleams. The tool is machined from 303 stainless steel with no coating or surface treatment, giving it a kind of jewelry-like appeal. We’ve seen tools that looked the part before (looking at you, Tread) but didn’t hold up in actual use. The visible milling lines are a neat touch and not something you often see, mostly because so many tools are cast instead of CNC machined.

The M1 is the same size as the Knipex Cobra but comes with several upgrades. The plier adjustment uses a slip-joint setup, or what ROLR calls a two-position system. This lets you grab tiny items with accuracy or open the jaws wide enough for a large nut or piece of pipe. The teeth aren’t as fine as the Cobras, but they’ve done well with everything I’ve thrown at them. The control arm has a comfortable arc with a scoop for your pinky or ring finger, making operation surprisingly comfortable even under pressure.

Switching between the two plier positions feels intuitive. You can move the head manually, or you can do what I do: hold the tool upside down with the arm extended and let gravity drop the jaws into the second notch. Flipping it back is just as easy. I’ll admit this has turned into a bit of a fidget habit. It’s oddly satisfying.


Driver and Pry Bar

The onboard tools sit tucked into the sides of the M1 and are easy to deploy. The arms and plier pivot are secured with tamper-resistant connectors, which makes sense considering how people in our community love to tinker. They look good, too, matching the tool’s design language.

One side of the handle holds a fold-out 1/4-inch bit driver with a magnet to keep bits in place. It rotates 45 degrees away from the body to get into position. There’s no lock or spring to keep it planted, so you’ll have to use your grip to stabilize it. I’ve put respectable torque on it and it’s held up fine.

The opposite side hosts the pry bar. You can use it as a flat driver in a pinch, though that’s not its intended role. A pry tool can be incredibly handy—there are plenty of times where you need to wedge, scrape, or separate something. Before pry bars became popular, people used their knives, which led to snapped tips or chipped blades. Others, myself included, reached for a flat screwdriver or whatever was lying around.

This pry bar isn’t as thin at the tip as I’d like, so it’s not going to slide under delicate surfaces. Since it’s the same 303 stainless as the rest of the tool, it’s strong enough for casual prying but can bend if you get too aggressive. Treat it kindly and it’ll last.


How It All Comes Together

Everything on the M1 stays in place thanks to N52 neodymium magnets. These aren’t the weak fridge magnets you slap kids’ drawings under—they’re strong, reliable, and long-lived. The magnets on both sides of the tool line up and give a nice pull when closing, almost snapping each part into place. That reassuring closure means I can drop it in my pocket without worrying about anything opening unexpectedly.

Because of the added tools, the M1 has a thicker spine. That actually works in its favor. It fills my hand better when I’m using the pliers and gives me more mass to grip. Comfort makes or breaks a tool for me. If it feels good in hand, I keep reaching for it. If it’s awkward, it stays in a drawer.


Closing Thoughts

The ROLR M1 is a unique tool in a sea of sameness. Multitools keep evolving but a lot of them recycle the same ideas every year. The M1 breaks that pattern. It’s refreshing to see something that isn’t trying to be everything at once, but instead focuses on doing its core jobs well. I appreciate the passion behind it, and from what I’ve been told, the M1 is just the start—there’s more on the horizon.

If you’re looking for a compact pair of pliers with meaningful upgrades and some thoughtful extras built in, the M1 from ROLR is worth checking out.


Specifications
Model: M1 – Gen 1
Material: 303 Stainless Steel
Construction: CNC machined from billet
Pliers: 2-position adjustable
Bit Driver: Fold-out 1/4 inch bit driver (magnetic retention)
Pry Bar: Fold-out, stainless steel
Magnetic System: N52 neodymium latch
Length: 4.2 in
Width: 0.45 in
Thickness: 0.3 in
Weight: 4.8 oz
Included Bit: #2 Phillips
Made in: USA


https://rolrtools.com/products/m1



Sent from my SM-S936U using Tapatalk

[AzteCypher]

That's actually pretty neat.  I really like the machine marks.

[David Bowen]

It's really neat, we've talked back and forth about the design, possible changes and upgrades. I think it's got a lot of possibility and is about a paired down multi type tool you can get.

Sent from my SM-S936U using Tapatalk

[Vidar]

Nice and fresh! 

For me, usually just stuffing small tools in my pockets, the big semicircle at the handle end would seem like a pointy issue. Does it have any particular function beyond not slipping the hand off?

303 steel is machining friendly, but the downside is that it doesn't heat harden and work hardening will only bring it so far. (For hard gripping 440 or 420 series or even PH stainless steels might be alternatives).

I do like the machining marks, the size and the all steel design. Quite unique! 

Edit: I thought I'd actually buy one, but shipping seems to be US and UK only.

[David Bowen]

No I don't think it has any other benefit than keeping your from slipping. I agree on the 303 stainless, I've got a little bit of wear on the teeth. Where are you located and I can ask him.

Sent from my SM-S936U using Tapatalk

[Vidar]

I'm in Norway. If he is in the US the shipping is typically quite high as the US isn't part of the international postal agreement (or something like that).

[fullbreakfast]

Very interesting and IMO beautiful tool, thanks for sharing it.

I feel like the limited toolset will mean a small audience, particularly as there’s no lock or spring to hold the bit driver in place (not sure about the prybar but I figure the same may go for that?).

For me where something like this falls down is substitutability. With a fully-featured MT that may give me six or seven tools I might find useful, there’s no way I would carry all those individual tools in my pocket or everyday bag. So it has a niche in my carry. With this I have the immediate thought that I could carry a pouch with a Knipex and a separate pry bar and bit driving setup for little more bulk, and it would be more capable.

[Vidar]

Sorry, misread. Carry on... 

[ReamerPunch]

Very interesting and IMO beautiful tool, thanks for sharing it.

I feel like the limited toolset will mean a small audience, particularly as there’s no lock or spring to hold the bit driver in place (not sure about the prybar but I figure the same may go for that?).

For me where something like this falls down is substitutability. With a fully-featured MT that may give me six or seven tools I might find useful, there’s no way I would carry all those individual tools in my pocket or everyday bag. So it has a niche in my carry. With this I have the immediate thought that I could carry a pouch with a Knipex and a separate pry bar and bit driving setup for little more bulk, and it would be more capable.

The price will also scare people away. This is around $100. The Knipex 100mm Cobra is around $35.

[Vidar]

The Cobra is optimized for mass production and sell by the containerload. It is certainly good quality and value for the money.

That said, this is more of a specialized thing, and I'm actually surprised that USD100 is a sustainable price for all that CNC machining from a business viewpoint. Maybe by direct sale?

[ReamerPunch]

Most buyers (or at least potential buyers) do not care about the business viewpoint. Price, availability, versatility, I care about those. The Knipex pliers have many more positions vs this which has only two. This costs $100, which is very expensive from my viewpoint. I can get a Knipex 100mm Cobra, a mini ratchet with bits, and a small prybar, and still have money for more than this offers. And the Knipex is available. I cannot order this even if I wanted to. And the WorkPro cobras are just fine for me, and cost even less than the Knipex.

If $100 is what the maker has to charge for it to be profitable for him, by all means; he is free to charge whatever he wants for his product. I've seen fidget gadgets with no actual practical use go for hundreds of dollars and people do buy them. This is much more useful than those, and other multi-toolish things we see nowadays.

I think he can experiment a bit with this design. Maybe have the tools pivot from the end of the handle? That way he could have a version with a blade or scalpel holder. Maybe a fixed bit driver? Why not have the curvy handle be the prying tip, and save the pivoting prybar's space for another tool? Or have a pocket-clip on it, with a mechanism to hold the handles closed of course.

[Vidar]

Yes, there is perfect logic to all of that.

But to me this one isn't in the realm of daily hardworking tools. To me this is more in the Mora knife versus some small series custom knife. You can argue they do the same, and one cost multitudes more, yet there are buyers. Transferring that logic to pliers might be a stretch for many if not most, but that side of the logic is where I'm at. 

To me that one is a work of passion as opposed to a product of market research, standards conformity, various three letter optimizations and simulations and slightly boring sensibilities. That is rare to come by in a tools world. I might not necessarily think every part of the design is how I would do it, or agree on the order of priorities, but I respect that a lot of thought have gone into this and that the choices have been made consciously. And it seems functional enough that I find it interesting, and I expect I would discover some more depth to it by having a closer inspection.

That is enough value in itself for me, and in particular this early version. I expect later version will be a bit dulled down, and perhaps more functional, but also with less of this slightly untamed feel.

I know - I might be damaged goods, but as a machining centre user I even read those machining marks with some interest as they say something about the machine and software used.

[fullbreakfast]

Yes, there is perfect logic to all of that.

But to me this one isn't in the realm of daily hardworking tools. To me this is more in the Mora knife versus some small series custom knife. You can argue they do the same, and one cost multitudes more, yet there are buyers. Transferring that logic to pliers might be a stretch for many if not most, but that side of the logic is where I'm at. 

To me that one is a work of passion as opposed to a product of market research, standards conformity, various three letter optimizations and simulations and slightly boring sensibilities. That is rare to come by in a tools world. I might not necessarily think every part of the design is how I would do it, or agree on the order of priorities, but I respect that a lot of thought have gone into this and that the choices have been made consciously. And it seems functional enough that I find it interesting, and I expect I would discover some more depth to it by having a closer inspection.

That is enough value in itself for me, and in particular this early version. I expect later version will be a bit dulled down, and perhaps more functional, but also with less of this slightly untamed feel.

I know - I might be damaged goods, but as a machining centre user I even read those machining marks with some interest as they say something about the machine and software used.

I think I understand what you're getting at here. It's a thing one would own because one appreciates its aesthetics, and the ingenuity and craftsmanship that went into it, rather than for purely practical reasons. A source of pleasure and fascination to the discerning tool nerd! To be used on occasion, but perhaps more of a collector's piece than a daily beater.

I don't disparage this, indeed I own several things that fall into the same category in my mind (the Metmo pocket driver, the Windeler modular tool system).

[Vidar]

Not so sure about the aesthetics, but I do appreciate that the design just went for it.

To me that looks like it is done by someone who made what they wanted, and made few if any adaptations for measly manufacturing considerations. To me that is craft made, but just with a CNC machine and straightforward tool paths. I would be surprised if that is made on heavy robust industrial machining centre. From the pictures that seems to be done by a 3-axis CNC mill and likely a small one by industrial scale. Which would make that a lot of work to make. (Alternatively the parts look like that could be made one shot at a 6+ axis turning centre with live tools - which would make for a quite impressive manufacturing video for marketing..) Without having one hard to tell for sure. Those are things to nerd over I guess. 

Too bad it is only sold to a small part of the market. As if being a new/ niche product isn't hard enough already.