Two secrets, have everything cold, use a ratio of 4 to 1 for the flour/ shortening .
Basic; 1 cup flour, 1/2 stick butter, this is 1/4 cup of butter.
To flour, add some salt, just a litttle, and 1 teaspoon baking powder, not baking soda, mix dry ingredients, cut in the butter.Here a little help may be needed, you can use a fork, but a shortening cutter, a handle with 4 to 6 wire half moons attached is much faster and easier.
Work this in the mix until you can't see any butter, just a mealey white mess.
For 1 or 2 cups of flour use 1 egg and enough milk or buttermilk to make the dough hold together but not be sticky, roll into a ball, cover and put in the refrigerator at least 2 hours.
This will make 2 single crust pies, 1 double crust or 8 fried pies with 1 cup of flour.
You can use hard shortening, but it does not taste as good, lard makes it the best for flakey, but runs the cholesterol off the scale, what ever you do, do not use margarine , it is just no good for pastries.
Happy calories, Don       :D

Thanks Don, Some great ideas there. Looks as if the guys here just might make a cookbook outta this yet!