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A pastry blender is a kitchen tool used to mix a hard (solid) fat into flour in order to make pastries. The tool is usually made of narrow metal strips or wires attached to a handle, and is used by pressing down on the items to be mixed (known as "cutting in"). It is also used to break these fats (shortening, butter, lard) into smaller pieces.
Alternatives
There are several alternatives to using a pastry blender. One is to work the fat into the flour with the fingertips, though this requires having a good "touch" and knowing just how lightly to work the fat into the flour without melting it. Another is to use two table knives like a pair of scissors, one knife in each hand. A third is to use a food processor.
References
Pastry blender Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA