The best apple pies I ever made were with Jonathon apples. I cannot find them anymore, or at least I can't find any that resemble the ones I used to bake with. They had a mostly dark red skin, were tart and firm, with a pale yellow flesh, and with a nice crunch when you bit into them (they were also my favorite eating apple). They held their shape well in pies. The apples I have found more recently that are labeled Jonathon don't have the same color skin or shape, and have a whiter, softer flesh. They don't work as well for pies. I like Granny Smiths, but IMHO they aren't as good as the old-fashioned Jonathon. I have good memories of learning to make a pie crust under my mother's tutelage. She was pretty emphatic about not cutting the shortening into the flour too much, handling the dough as little as possible, and using a minimal amount of water to hold the crust together. She always used Crisco, so that's what I have always used. People often commented on the flakiness of my crusts when I took pies to a gathering. I've tried butter, but haven't like the results as well.

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