Plumsteadville is home to Malmark Bellcraftsmen, one of only two handbell makers in the country that have crafted their musical instruments for over 50 years, writes JD Mullane for the Bucks County Courier Times.
Malmark employs 34 machinists, fine tuners, and assemblers who craft its handbells.
“It’s a very specialized business (because) it’s a hard learning curve to machine a bell to perfection,” said Derek Mohr, a third-generation handbell maker.
The company produces thousands of bells annually, which are shipped around the country, and many of them are sent internationally.
Each bell is handcrafted from gray castings, and many of them are rejected due to imperfections. The process is so specific that even the weather can impact their quality.
The company was founded in Doylestown by Mohr’s late grandfather, Jake Malta, a World War II veteran who worked as a machinist at Schulmerich Bells.
“He began to make prototypes of bells and different bell instruments,” said Mohr.
His father eventually started his own business in 1973.
Malta went on to invent and patent the “choirchime,” a handheld instrument that sounds like a bell but is less expensive.
The handbells have received attention from around the world.
The late Beatle John Lennon’s wife, Yoko Ono, ordered around 200 bells from the Bucks County shop.
Read more about Malmark Bellcraftsmen in Plumsteadville and the business’ legacy in the Bucks County Courier Times.
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