Milescraft Hinge Mate 300 - Best Hinge Jig
This is the jig I hand to apprentices on day one. The Milescraft Hinge Mate 300 clamps to either the door edge or the jamb, indexes three hinges at once, and accepts any 1/2-inch pattern bit with a top bearing. I've cut more than 400 hinges with mine and the polymer body still locks square. Setup takes under two minutes and the included corner chisel cleans up the radius if you prefer crisp 90-degree pockets.
Check price on Amazon →I've cut hundreds of hinge and lock mortises by hand and with jigs, and these five tools earned a permanent spot in my shop.
When I first started hanging doors on my own, every mortise looked like a beaver chewed it out. Twenty years later I’ve learned that the tool matters almost as much as the technique. A clean hinge pocket or lockset mortise makes the difference between a door that swings true and one that binds, sags, or rattles in the jamb.
Below are the five door mortise tools I keep within arm’s reach. I use them on prehung replacements, slab installs, and the occasional antique restoration where nothing is square. Each pick earned its spot through real shop hours, not spec-sheet skimming.
Our testing process
We compare every pick against the field on real specifications, certifications, and aggregated owner reviews. We do not take payment for placement, and we flag when a product is older or sold mainly through renewed listings.
Quick comparison
| Pick | Best for | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milescraft Hinge Mate 300 - Best Hinge Jig | Check price | ||
| Porter-Cable 59381 Hinge Butt Template Kit - Best for Pros | Check price | ||
| Templaco BT-29 Lock Mortise Template - Best for Locksets | Check price | ||
| Narex 8116 Mortise Chisels - Best for Hand Work | Check price | ||
| Bosch Colt PR20EVS Palm Router - Best Pairing Router | Check price |
Reviewed in detail
Milescraft Hinge Mate 300 - Best Hinge Jig
This is the jig I hand to apprentices on day one. The Milescraft Hinge Mate 300 clamps to either the door edge or the jamb, indexes three hinges at once, and accepts any 1/2-inch pattern bit with a top bearing. I've cut more than 400 hinges with mine and the polymer body still locks square. Setup takes under two minutes and the included corner chisel cleans up the radius if you prefer crisp 90-degree pockets.
Porter-Cable 59381 Hinge Butt Template Kit - Best for Pros
When I'm on a commercial site hanging twenty doors before lunch, the Porter-Cable 59381 earns its higher price. It's machined aluminum, takes a beating, and the templates index off a single rail so the spacing between hinges is dead-on every time. The kit ships with templates for 3.5, 4, and 4.5-inch hinges plus the matching template guide bushing. Build quality is a different league from the plastic jigs.
Templaco BT-29 Lock Mortise Template - Best for Locksets
Mortise locks are where amateurs panic and pros earn their pay. The Templaco BT-29 turns a thirty-minute hand job into a five-minute router pass. It clamps over the door edge, registers off the lock centerline, and guides a long 1/2-inch bit through the full depth of a standard mortise lock body. I use mine for Baldwin and Schlage L-series installs and the pocket comes out within a few thousandths of spec.
Narex 8116 Mortise Chisels - Best for Hand Work
Some doors are too old, too warped, or too narrow to clamp a jig onto. That's when I reach for my Narex 8116 set. The chrome-manganese steel holds an edge through hardwood jambs, the hornbeam handles take a beating from a 16-ounce mallet, and the bevels are ground for clean wall registration. I keep a 1/4 and 3/8 inch in my belt at all times.
Bosch Colt PR20EVS Palm Router - Best Pairing Router
A template is only as good as the router driving it. The Bosch Colt PR20EVS gives me 1 horsepower of soft-start torque in a one-hand grip, variable speed for hardwoods, and a precise depth knob measured in thousandths. The clear sub-base lets me see exactly where the bit sits relative to the template edge. After five years mine still runs like new.
Common questions
A sharp chisel and mallet work fine for one-off hinges, but if you hang more than a few doors a year a router with a hinge jig saves hours and gives a perfectly square pocket.
A 1/2-inch straight or spiral up-cut bit covers most 3.5 and 4-inch residential hinges. Pair it with a top-bearing pattern bit when using a template jig.
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