Guarantor Subsidiaries (Details 1) (USD $) In Thousands	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Sep. 30, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 189,741	$ 376,951	$ 113,634	$ 56,216
Short-term investments	76,587	20,275
Receivables, net	87,883	56,235
Inventories, net	257,049	269,719
Deferred income taxes	19,974	22,891
Other current assets	14,663	16,299
Total current assets	645,897	762,370
Property, plant, and equipment, net	268,056	260,576
Marketable securities	89,479	0
Goodwill	41,305	41,795
Other intangible assets, net	12,829	14,066
Deferred income taxes	23,611	21,699
Other noncurrent assets	5,228	6,348
Intercompany investments	0	0
Total assets	1,086,405	1,106,854
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	53,960	47,226
Accrued wages and other employee costs	20,978	21,951
Unearned revenues	18,234	28,358
Other accrued liabilities	19,831	28,179
Total current liabilities	113,003	125,714
Long-term debt	184,695	178,107
Intercompany debt	0	0
Liability for post-retirement benefits	41,128	39,903
Liability for pension benefits	7,153	33,830
Deferred income taxes	5,441	3,147
Other noncurrent liabilities	8,538	7,753
Total liabilities	359,958	388,454
Shareholders' equity	726,447	718,400
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	1,086,405	1,106,854
RTI International Metals, Inc. [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Short-term investments	0	0
Receivables, net	417	382
Inventories, net	0	0
Deferred income taxes	18,493	21,430
Other current assets	14,765	16,489
Total current assets	33,675	38,301
Property, plant, and equipment, net	772	1,050
Marketable securities	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other noncurrent assets	5,065	6,168
Intercompany investments	921,775	898,943
Total assets	961,287	944,462
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	806	15
Accrued wages and other employee costs	5,015	5,603
Unearned revenues	0	0
Other accrued liabilities	4,727	2,612
Total current liabilities	10,548	8,230
Long-term debt	184,675	178,062
Intercompany debt	0	0
Liability for post-retirement benefits	0	0
Liability for pension benefits	4,380	7,128
Deferred income taxes	30,148	27,569
Other noncurrent liabilities	5,089	5,073
Total liabilities	234,840	226,062
Shareholders' equity	726,447	718,400
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	961,287	944,462
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	177,711	350,629	93,289	45,525
Short-term investments	76,587	20,275
Receivables, net	62,273	39,313
Inventories, net	128,685	151,544
Deferred income taxes	1,418	1,419
Other current assets	1,166	811
Total current assets	447,840	563,991
Property, plant, and equipment, net	209,540	198,007
Marketable securities	89,479
Goodwill	18,097	18,097
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Deferred income taxes	23,019	24,371
Other noncurrent assets	36	36
Intercompany investments	71,231	71,231
Total assets	859,242	875,733
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	37,398	36,441
Accrued wages and other employee costs	9,929	7,656
Unearned revenues	184	0
Other accrued liabilities	11,573	11,037
Total current liabilities	59,084	55,134
Long-term debt	20	40
Intercompany debt	83,997	99,955
Liability for post-retirement benefits	41,128	39,903
Liability for pension benefits	2,097	26,025
Deferred income taxes	0	15
Other noncurrent liabilities	3,449	2,680
Total liabilities	189,775	223,752
Shareholders' equity	669,467	651,981
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	859,242	875,733
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	12,030	26,322	20,345	10,691
Short-term investments	0	0
Receivables, net	53,109	35,519
Inventories, net	128,364	118,175
Deferred income taxes	63	42
Other current assets	1,164	1,069
Total current assets	194,730	181,127
Property, plant, and equipment, net	57,744	61,519
Marketable securities	0
Goodwill	23,208	23,698
Other intangible assets, net	12,829	14,066
Deferred income taxes	25,303	21,765
Other noncurrent assets	127	144
Intercompany investments	180	180
Total assets	314,121	302,499
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	43,672	29,749
Accrued wages and other employee costs	6,034	8,692
Unearned revenues	18,050	28,358
Other accrued liabilities	5,963	16,600
Total current liabilities	73,719	83,399
Long-term debt	0	5
Intercompany debt	101,499	79,024
Liability for post-retirement benefits	0	0
Liability for pension benefits	676	677
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other noncurrent liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	175,894	163,105
Shareholders' equity	138,227	139,394
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	314,121	302,499
Eliminations [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Short-term investments	0	0
Receivables, net	(27,916)	(18,979)
Inventories, net	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other current assets	(2,432)	(2,070)
Total current assets	(30,348)	(21,049)
Property, plant, and equipment, net	0	0
Marketable securities	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Deferred income taxes	(24,711)	(24,437)
Other noncurrent assets	0	0
Intercompany investments	(993,186)	(970,354)
Total assets	(1,048,245)	(1,015,840)
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	(27,916)	(18,979)
Accrued wages and other employee costs	0	0
Unearned revenues	0	0
Other accrued liabilities	(2,432)	(2,070)
Total current liabilities	(30,348)	(21,049)
Long-term debt	0	0
Intercompany debt	(185,496)	(178,979)
Liability for post-retirement benefits	0	0
Liability for pension benefits	0	0
Deferred income taxes	(24,707)	(24,437)
Other noncurrent liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	(240,551)	(224,465)
Shareholders' equity	(807,694)	(791,375)
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	$ (1,048,245)	$ (1,015,840)