Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Supplemental Guarantor Information [Line Items]
Cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 58,087	$ 102,188
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities:
Repayments of intercompany loans	0	0
Purchase of property, plant and equipment	(57,922)	(42,436)
Purchase of software and other intangibles	(3,106)	(1,789)
Settlement of net investment hedge	(2,490)	1,648
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(63,518)	(42,577)
Cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities:
Proceeds from debt	40,000	101,250
Repayments of debt	(136,875)	(45,626)
Capital lease payments	(950)	0
Cash contributions from member	0	0
Cash distributions to member	0	0
Contribution from noncontrolling interest	30,216	0
Proceeds from the exercise of stock options	310	820
Debt issuance costs	(4,794)	(3,156)
Proceeds from (repayments of) intercompany loans	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(72,093)	53,288
Effect of exchange rate differences on cash	(1,012)	793
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(78,536)	113,692
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	223,166	88,579
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	144,630	202,271
Kraton
Supplemental Guarantor Information [Line Items]
Cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities	0	0
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities:
Repayments of intercompany loans	0	0
Purchase of property, plant and equipment	0	0
Purchase of software and other intangibles	0	0
Settlement of net investment hedge	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	0	0
Cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities:
Proceeds from debt	0	0
Repayments of debt	0	0
Capital lease payments	0
Cash contributions from member	0	0
Cash distributions to member	(310)	(820)
Contribution from noncontrolling interest	0
Proceeds from the exercise of stock options	310	820
Debt issuance costs	0	0
Proceeds from (repayments of) intercompany loans	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	0	0
Effect of exchange rate differences on cash	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	0	0
Kraton Polymers LLC
Supplemental Guarantor Information [Line Items]
Cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities	14,859	(69,068)
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities:
Repayments of intercompany loans	68,962	14,132
Purchase of property, plant and equipment	0	0
Purchase of software and other intangibles	0	0
Settlement of net investment hedge	(2,490)	1,648
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	66,472	15,780
Cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities:
Proceeds from debt	0	101,250
Repayments of debt	(96,875)	(45,626)
Capital lease payments	0
Cash contributions from member	15,544	820
Cash distributions to member	0	0
Contribution from noncontrolling interest	0
Proceeds from the exercise of stock options	0	0
Debt issuance costs	0	(3,156)
Proceeds from (repayments of) intercompany loans	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(81,331)	53,288
Effect of exchange rate differences on cash	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	0	0
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Supplemental Guarantor Information [Line Items]
Cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities	(65,805)	136,814
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities:
Repayments of intercompany loans	0	0
Purchase of property, plant and equipment	(26,414)	(33,094)
Purchase of software and other intangibles	(2,861)	(1,842)
Settlement of net investment hedge	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(29,275)	(34,936)
Cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities:
Proceeds from debt	40,000	0
Repayments of debt	(40,000)	0
Capital lease payments	(950)
Cash contributions from member	0	0
Cash distributions to member	0	0
Contribution from noncontrolling interest	0
Proceeds from the exercise of stock options	0	0
Debt issuance costs	(3,310)	0
Proceeds from (repayments of) intercompany loans	28,891	(33,722)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	24,631	(33,722)
Effect of exchange rate differences on cash	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(70,449)	68,156
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	80,903	6,030
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	10,454	74,186
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Supplemental Guarantor Information [Line Items]
Cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities	109,033	34,442
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities:
Repayments of intercompany loans	0	0
Purchase of property, plant and equipment	(31,508)	(9,342)
Purchase of software and other intangibles	(245)	53
Settlement of net investment hedge	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(31,753)	(9,289)
Cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities:
Proceeds from debt	0	0
Repayments of debt	0	0
Capital lease payments	0
Cash contributions from member	(15,544)	0
Cash distributions to member	310	0
Contribution from noncontrolling interest	30,216
Proceeds from the exercise of stock options	0	0
Debt issuance costs	(1,484)	0
Proceeds from (repayments of) intercompany loans	(97,853)	19,590
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(84,355)	19,590
Effect of exchange rate differences on cash	(1,012)	793
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(8,087)	45,536
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	142,263	82,549
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	134,176	128,085
Eliminations
Supplemental Guarantor Information [Line Items]
Cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities	0	0
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities:
Repayments of intercompany loans	(68,962)	(14,132)
Purchase of property, plant and equipment	0	0
Purchase of software and other intangibles	0	0
Settlement of net investment hedge	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(68,962)	(14,132)
Cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities:
Proceeds from debt	0	0
Repayments of debt	0	0
Capital lease payments	0
Cash contributions from member	0	(820)
Cash distributions to member	0	820
Contribution from noncontrolling interest	0
Proceeds from the exercise of stock options	0	0
Debt issuance costs	0	0
Proceeds from (repayments of) intercompany loans	68,962	14,132
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	68,962	14,132
Effect of exchange rate differences on cash	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	$ 0	$ 0