King&Charles Cabinet Hardware Jig, King&Charles Cabinet Handle Jig with Automatic Center Punch, Avoid Jitter Caused by Direct Drilling. Use for Handles and Pulls on Drawers/Doors, Perfect Set.

Why this jig earned a spot in my cabinet kit

I spend a lot of time laying out cabinet hardware, and I’ve tried everything from homemade templates to premium, all-metal jigs with drill bushings. The King&Charles jig sits in a sweet spot for DIYers and light pro work: it’s fast to set up, accurate once dialed in, and portable. It’s not a tank, but it doesn’t need to be for most jobs.

I tested the ABS-bodied version with a stainless steel ruler and quick-release drill guide sliders. The headline feature is an included automatic center punch, which changes the workflow for the better: you mark through the jig, set the jig aside, and then drill. That means you’re never trying to hold a door, a jig, and a spinning drill all at once—a common source of misalignment with through-jig drilling.

Design and build

• Body: ABS guide with a stainless steel ruler, both metric and imperial scales printed clearly.
• Sliders: Detachable, quick-release guides lock down firmly and repeat positions accurately.
• Punch: Spring-loaded automatic center punch sized to fit the guide holes.
• Length: 16 inches, which covers typical drawer widths and long handle placements.
• Storage: Comes with a soft pouch that keeps the pieces together and protects the scales.

The ABS frame keeps weight down and makes the tool comfortable to hold across a long day. The stainless ruler is rigid, precise, and easy to read. The sliders have enough friction and clamping force to stay put without gouging. It’s not a lifetime, drop-it-off-the-van kind of tool, but it’s sturdier than you might expect from a mostly plastic body.

Note: Listings for this jig sometimes mention “aluminum” versions. Mine was the ABS variant with a stainless rule; if you care about all-metal construction, double-check the specific model you’re buying.

Setup and calibration

Initial setup took me a few minutes. The scales are crisp, and I appreciate having both metric and imperial—especially useful when hardware is spec’d in millimeters. The process I used:

1. Identify the reference edge (door stile edge or drawer top).
2. Set the vertical placement on the ruler using the main fence.
3. Adjust the hole-spacing sliders to match your handle center-to-center distance.
4. Lock everything down and test on a scrap board or a piece of tape on a cabinet.

Once I had settings dialed for a 96 mm pull, I could move from door to door without further measuring. For odd or nonstandard hole patterns (like three-screw pulls), the sliders accommodate multiple points easily, and you can lock them in place so the pattern stays consistent.

The instructions are present but rough. Fortunately, the jig is intuitive. If you’re methodical, you’ll be marking your first door in under 10 minutes.

In use: doors and drawers

On doors, the fence registered reliably against the stile, and the jig’s length made it easy to mirror positions left-to-right. On drawers, the 16-inch span was enough for everything from narrow top drawers to wider base drawers. The jig sits flat, but like most fence-style jigs, it can rock if you push or pull while marking. Maintain hand pressure squarely against your reference edge, and it stays stable.

The automatic center punch is the key to consistent results. I used it to mark each hole, pulled the jig off, and then drilled. This avoids wear on the jig’s guide holes and eliminates the “three hands” problem of drilling through the jig. The punch marks were visible and deep enough to keep my pilot bit from wandering.

One caution: you can cock the punch at an angle if you aren’t careful. Keep it perpendicular to the surface and centered in the guide hole. I got best results by placing the punch, applying light pressure to seat it squarely, then firing it.

Accuracy and repeatability

The jig’s strength is repeatability. Once set, I could go cabinet-to-cabinet and get identical results. Hardware lined up level across long runs of doors, and drawer banks matched cleanly.

A few technique notes that improved accuracy:

• Use a small pilot bit first. I used a 3/32-inch pilot, then stepped up to the final size. The pilot bit locks into the punch divot and stays true.
• Back up thin drawer fronts with sacrificial wood to prevent blowout.
• For painted cabinets, lay painter’s tape where you’ll drill; it reduces chipping and gives you a place to mark notes.
• If you’re matching or covering existing holes, set one slider using a screw inserted through the jig to register hole spacing, then lock the rest to that reference. It’s faster and eliminates math mistakes.

The center punch: helpful, with caveats

The included punch is convenient and, more importantly, properly sized for the jig’s guide holes. It made quick work of marking dozens of positions. However, it’s not a premium punch. The spring force and tip hardness are adequate, not exceptional. If you’re doing an entire kitchen, it will get you through. If you install hardware professionally, you might want a higher-end punch as a backup.

Durability and portability

The ABS body and stainless rule handled a full kitchen refresh without flex or scale wear. The sliders didn’t drift once tightened, and the markings remained legible. The storage bag is a nice touch—no digging through a toolbox for loose parts. I wouldn’t toss it into a bin with heavy tools; store it in the pouch and it should last.

If you prefer metal-on-metal stability and you drill through bushings, an all-metal bushing-style jig is still the gold standard for heavy-duty work. This jig’s workflow is different—mark, then drill—and it favors speed and ease over through-jig drilling.

Limitations and quirks

• Instructions: Functional but poorly translated. Expect to rely more on common sense than the booklet.
• Potential rocking: Like many fence-style jigs, it can rock forward/back. Keep even pressure against the reference edge while marking.
• Punch sensitivity: Keep the punch square, or it can glance off and leave a faint or misplaced mark.
• Listing ambiguity: Some buyers expect an all-metal build. Confirm whether you’re getting the ABS or aluminum variant.

None of these are deal-breakers, but they’re worth knowing so you can adjust your technique.

Tips for best results

• Always identify a consistent reference edge and stick to it for the whole project.
• Make a test board: mark and drill a scrap to verify measurements before touching your doors.
• Blue tape under the fence protects delicate finishes and keeps pencil marks off the surface.
• For mirrored doors, flip the jig rather than re-measuring; the symmetric scales make this easy.
• Pilot first, then drill to size, and consider a drill guide block if you struggle to keep holes plumb.

Who it’s for

• DIYers updating kitchens and baths who want reliable, repeatable placement without buying a pro-only jig.
• Light-duty pros or handypeople who need a fast, portable solution for occasional hardware installs.
• Anyone who prefers marking then drilling, rather than drilling through a jig.

If you install hundreds of pulls each month, an all-metal, bushing-style jig will be more durable and tolerant of rough handling. For everyone else, this strikes a good balance of speed, accuracy, and cost.

Recommendation

I recommend the King&Charles jig. It’s quick to set up, precise enough for clean, professional-looking results, and the center-punch-first workflow reduces the juggling act that causes most mistakes. The ABS/stainless construction keeps it lightweight and portable while remaining sturdy for typical kitchen and bath projects.

Buy it if you want an affordable, repeatable solution that saves time and avoids rework. Pass only if you require an all-metal, bushing-equipped jig for heavy daily use, or if you won’t adjust your technique to use the punch properly. For most users, it’s a smart, frustration-free way to get perfectly aligned hardware without overcomplicating the job.