I use butter for sweet pies and lard (or vegetable as a less-desireable substitute for meat pies (pot pies and the like). I haven't ever made more than four 9" crusts at a time, so I've never really needed to use a food processor for mixing. So it's been easy to stick with a pastry knife for cutting the fat into the flour. And I agree that keeping the butter/lard/shortening chilled until the final rolling and baking is the key a lighter, layered crust.

Now...who here uses a French style rolling pin (a plain dowel with tapered ends) instead of a baker's rolling pin (a straight roller with an axle and handles)?