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Goodwill and Intangible Assets - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]      
Goodwill $ 252,520,000us-gaap_Goodwill $ 260,134,000us-gaap_Goodwill $ 258,400,000us-gaap_Goodwill
Intangible Assets      
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]      
Future amortization expense, 2015 3,800,000us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenseNextTwelveMonths
/ us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= msa_IntangibleAssetsMember
   
Future amortization expense, 2016 3,600,000us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenseYearTwo
/ us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= msa_IntangibleAssetsMember
   
Future amortization expense, 2017 3,200,000us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenseYearThree
/ us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= msa_IntangibleAssetsMember
   
Future amortization expense, 2018 1,900,000us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenseYearFour
/ us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= msa_IntangibleAssetsMember
   
Future amortization expense, 2019 1,900,000us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenseYearFive
/ us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= msa_IntangibleAssetsMember
   
North American      
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]      
Goodwill 196,500,000us-gaap_Goodwill
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= msa_NorthAmericanMember
   
European      
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]      
Goodwill 53,900,000us-gaap_Goodwill
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= msa_EuropeanMember
   
International      
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]      
Goodwill $ 2,100,000us-gaap_Goodwill
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= msa_InternationalMember