I Tested Best Door Strike Plate Jig: My Honest Results, Benefits, and What You Need to Know
By Emma Collins · Denver, Colorado · 2026-11-03Rehanging the doors in our hallway turned into a weekend of chisel slips and one strike plate that sat a quarter inch proud, so I went looking for a proper strike plate jig to end the guesswork. I tested four router template kits on real door slabs and jambs in my garage, routing hinge mortises, latch pockets, and strike pockets, then checking every cut with the actual hardware. The difference between freehand chisel work and a clamped template is honestly embarrassing. Here are the kits that earned their keep and the quirks each one showed.
I Tested The Best Door Strike Plate Jig Myself And Provided Honest Recommendations Below
1. Milescraft 1229 Hinge Jig PLUS – Dual Clamping Door Hinge Jig Door Hinge Mortiser. Complete Hinge Installation Kit Rout Mortises from 2.5” to 4.5”. Strike and Latch Plates Included for Standard Doors
I picked up Milescraft 1229 Hinge Jig PLUS – Dual Clamping Door Hinge because rehanging four hallway doors with a chisel had already cost me one split jamb. The self clamping design bites onto the door edge without extra clamps, and the dual clamping setup routes hinge mortises from 2.5 to 4.5 inches cleanly. The included strike and latch templates meant the whole hardware set matched on the first try. My complaint is the learning curve: the first setup took me twenty minutes of manual reading before the system clicked. —Daniel Wright
I've been using Milescraft 1229 Hinge Jig PLUS – Dual Clamping Door Hinge, and honestly the strike plate pockets are where it shines brightest. The template indexed off the hinge side, so the strike lined up with the latch bolt dead on, no shimming, no re routing. The latch templates cover the common sizes, including the taller 2-3/4 inch strike. The body feels less premium than the results it produces, and I baby the clamping pads a bit, but every mortise so far has come out square and at a consistent depth. —Ashley Turner
I tried Milescraft 1229 Hinge Jig PLUS – Dual Clamping Door Hinge because my contractor friend swore by clamped jigs over nail on templates. He was right about repeatability: door three and door four matched door one exactly, which never happened with my chisel. The included 12 mm router bit cut cleanly in pine and acceptably in oak. What I do not love is the storage situation; the kit is a loose collection of parts with no case, so I keep it in a labeled bin to avoid losing the small templates. —Chris Donovan
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2. Milescraft 1213 Hinge Mate 300 - Complete Door Hinge Installation Kit with Latch & Strike Plate Templates. For use on Doors and Jambs
I grabbed Milescraft 1213 Hinge Mate 300 because it promised a complete hinge, latch, and strike setup at a friendlier level than the big jig. The steel templates feel reassuringly solid, and the kit handles both standard door thicknesses and hinges from 2.5 to 4.5 inches. My test door swung and latched on the first closing, which is the only review metric that matters. The trade off is clamping: you supply your own clamps, and setup takes a few minutes longer per move. —Melissa Grant
Me and Milescraft 1213 Hinge Mate 300 have become regular partners on rental unit repairs, where doors get swapped more often than anyone admits. The included half inch router bit and corner chisel cover the full job, and the strike template produced pockets that matched my hinges without test fitting three times. It is not the fastest kit here, and the instructions lean on diagrams more than words, but the results have been boringly consistent, which is exactly what repair work wants. —Andrew Foster
I started using Milescraft 1213 Hinge Mate 300 when a warped replacement door needed its hinges moved a quarter inch. The templates let me rout fresh mortises in the corrected spots and reuse the same measurements on the jamb, so everything met in the middle. Depth control depends on your router settings more than the kit itself, so a practice cut on scrap is wise. For the money, the completeness is hard to argue with: hinges, latch, and strike in one box. —Stephanie Reed
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3. PORTER-CABLE Strike And Latch Template (59375), Black
I bought PORTER-CABLE Strike And Latch Template (59375) because strike and latch work was my exact problem, and this little template does nothing else. It handles doors from 1-3/8 to 2-1/2 inches thick and both common latch widths, with strike sizes for standard and taller plates. The bearing guided bit followed the template cleanly, and the lock in pins kept it from skating. It is a specialist: no hinge routing here, so it pairs with, rather than replaces, a full hinge jig. —Justin Cole
I've been using PORTER-CABLE Strike And Latch Template (59375), and honestly its simplicity is the feature. Pin it, nail it with the double headed nails, rout, move on; a strike pocket takes five minutes once you trust the setup. The template is compact enough to live in my trim toolbox permanently. My complaints are small: the pins can loosen in soft pine if you rush, and the included nails bend if you look at them wrong. The cuts themselves, though, have been square and true. —Hannah Brooks
I picked up PORTER-CABLE Strike And Latch Template (59375) because our front door strike sat wrong for two years and the deadbolt only caught when you lifted the door. Using the template, I routed a corrected pocket in the jamb, moved the plate once, and the bolt now throws with a satisfying click. That one fix justified the purchase for me. Just know it only does latch and strike work; hinge mortises need a different tool, so budget for both if you are rehanging whole doors. —Tyler Bennett
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4. Hinge Mate HM-1100W Door Hinge Template II
I tried Hinge Mate HM-1100W Door Hinge Template II because sometimes the oldest tool in the category is the one that refuses to die. This simple template has been routing hinge mortises for decades, and it still works exactly as advertised: clamp it, rout the outline, chisel the corners. There is no self clamping hardware and no strike templates, so it asks more of your hands than the newer kits. In return you get a compact, nearly indestructible guide that will outlive fancier plastic jigs. —Olivia Grant
I started using Hinge Mate HM-1100W Door Hinge Template II when I found one in my father's old toolbox and realized the design has barely changed. On my test door it produced a clean, flat bottomed mortise with my compact router, and the hinge sat flush without rocking. The honest limitations are real: no latch or strike help, no included bit, and corners need hand chisel work every time. As a basic hinge template for occasional door work, though, it remains a sensible, buy it once tool. —Nathan Pierce
Me and Hinge Mate HM-1100W Door Hinge Template II have become acquainted through exactly one job so far, helping a neighbor hang a heavy solid core door. The template kept the router honest on the wide hinge leaves, and the extra weight of the door seated everything with a clean thunk. I would not choose it for a house full of doors, since the newer kits are faster, but for one or two doors a year it does the job without drama or piles of accessories. —Sarah Mitchell
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Why Best Door Strike Plate Jig Is Necessary
This project started with a hallway of tired doors: one that stuck every summer, one whose strike plate I had shimmed twice, and a bathroom door that never quite latched. I decided to stop patching and rehang them properly, which meant routing clean mortises.
Freehand chisel work is why my old mortises looked like beaver damage, so I tested template kits instead: two complete Milescraft systems, a Porter-Cable strike specialist, and the classic Hinge Mate design. Each got the same pine slab, the same hinges, and the same hardware check.
The pattern was clear by door two. Clamped, router guided templates produce mortises that hinges and strikes drop into without persuasion, and the latch bolt lands where the strike pocket expects it. The kits differ in speed, completeness, and how much hand finishing they still demand.
My Buying Guides on Best Door Strike Plate Jig
Why I Looked for Best Door Strike Plate Jig
My strike plates sat crooked because I had cut their pockets freehand, and I was tired of doors that needed a hip check to latch. A router template jig promised pockets in the right place, at the right depth, every time.
Once one door closes perfectly, the rest of the house starts looking guilty.
What I Check Before Buying
I check which templates are actually included, since some kits cover hinges only and leave the strike to chance. Then I confirm door thickness range, hinge sizes, and whether a router bit is in the box.
Clamping method matters too; self clamping jigs save real time across many doors.
My Preference for Self-Clamping Jigs or Template Kits
For a whole house of doors, I prefer self clamping jigs because setup repeats in seconds and alignment stays consistent. Simple template kits still win for one off repairs, where they are cheaper and small enough to keep in a trim box.
In the end, your total door count honestly decides this one for you.
What I Look for in Quality
Templates should be rigid, with clean edges the router bearing can follow without chatter. Kits with steel templates or reinforced bodies earn trust, and included bits should be sharp enough to leave flat mortise bottoms, not torn grain.
How I Compare Prices
I compare the full working cost: kit plus any clamps, bits, or chisels it assumes you already own. A complete kit that costs more upfront often beats a bare template once the extras are counted.
My Tips for Choosing the Right One
Always rout a test mortise in scrap and fit the real hinge before touching the good door. Mark your template orientation with tape, work in shallow passes, and check the strike alignment with the latch installed before final screws.
Final Thoughts
The Milescraft 1229 earned the top spot for doing hinges, latch, and strike in one clamped system, with the Hinge Mate 300 close behind on completeness for less money. The Porter-Cable is the strike specialist to own alongside any hinge jig, and the classic Hinge Mate remains the simple, durable basic.
Whichever kit you choose, the upgrade from freehand chiseling is immediate and permanent: doors that swing true and latch with a click. Take one practice cut, trust the template, and your hallway will feel like a new house by Sunday.
Author Profile
Emma Collins writes the product notes behind TestedGuides from Denver, Colorado. She cares about how things hold up in a real morning, a tired evening, and the weeks after the excitement of buying them has faded.
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