Condensed Consolidated Guarantor Financial Statements (Statement of Comprehensive Income) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011
Consolidating Guarantor Non-Guarantor Financials [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 209,247,000	$ 214,013,000	$ 397,076,000	$ 395,028,000
Freight billed to customers	759,000	838,000	1,467,000	1,249,000
Total revenues	210,006,000	214,851,000	398,543,000	396,277,000
Cost of sales	153,659,000	165,015,000	299,140,000	310,295,000
Gross profit	56,347,000	49,836,000	99,403,000	85,982,000
Selling, general and administrative expenses	27,378,000	25,224,000	55,504,000	50,626,000
Special charges	0	(100,000)	0	(49,000)
Income from operations	28,969,000	24,712,000	43,899,000	35,405,000
Other income (expense)	(30,648,000)	3,064,000	(31,239,000)	3,267,000
(Loss) earnings before interest and income taxes	(1,679,000)	27,776,000	12,660,000	38,672,000
Interest expense	9,957,000	10,787,000	20,365,000	22,370,000
(Loss) income before income taxes	(11,636,000)	16,989,000	(7,705,000)	16,302,000
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	(1,493,000)	1,583,000	1,797,000	1,897,000
Net income (loss)	(10,143,000)	15,406,000	(9,502,000)	14,405,000
Equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net (loss) income	(10,143,000)	15,406,000	(9,502,000)	14,405,000
Comprehensive income (loss)	(9,620,000)	26,432,000	(3,867,000)	34,753,000
Libbey Inc. (Parent) [Member]
Consolidating Guarantor Non-Guarantor Financials [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0	0	0
Freight billed to customers	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	0	0	0	0
Cost of sales	0	0	0	0
Gross profit	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Special charges	0	0	0	0
Income from operations	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense)	0	0	0	0
(Loss) earnings before interest and income taxes	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
(Loss) income before income taxes	0	0	0	0
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries	(10,143,000)	15,406,000	(9,502,000)	14,405,000
Net (loss) income	(10,143,000)	15,406,000	(9,502,000)	14,405,000
Comprehensive income (loss)	(9,620,000)	26,432,000	(3,867,000)	34,753,000
Libbey Glass (Issuer) [Member]
Consolidating Guarantor Non-Guarantor Financials [Line Items]
Net sales	109,697,000	104,355,000	203,177,000	194,924,000
Freight billed to customers	130,000	203,000	296,000	354,000
Total revenues	109,827,000	104,558,000	203,473,000	195,278,000
Cost of sales	75,608,000	80,588,000	149,919,000	155,451,000
Gross profit	34,219,000	23,970,000	53,554,000	39,827,000
Selling, general and administrative expenses	17,482,000	13,655,000	35,424,000	27,595,000
Special charges	0	(100,000)	0	(100,000)
Income from operations	16,737,000	10,415,000	18,130,000	12,332,000
Other income (expense)	(31,259,000)	(222,000)	(30,962,000)	(2,777,000)
(Loss) earnings before interest and income taxes	(14,522,000)	10,193,000	(12,832,000)	9,555,000
Interest expense	7,681,000	7,897,000	15,874,000	16,690,000
(Loss) income before income taxes	(22,203,000)	2,296,000	(28,706,000)	(7,135,000)
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	(2,661,000)	1,252,000	(2,436,000)	630,000
Net income (loss)	(19,542,000)	1,044,000	(26,270,000)	(7,765,000)
Equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries	9,399,000	14,362,000	16,768,000	22,170,000
Net (loss) income	(10,143,000)	15,406,000	(9,502,000)	14,405,000
Comprehensive income (loss)	(9,620,000)	26,432,000	(3,867,000)	34,753,000
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Consolidating Guarantor Non-Guarantor Financials [Line Items]
Net sales	19,765,000	20,431,000	37,210,000	40,187,000
Freight billed to customers	191,000	376,000	374,000	570,000
Total revenues	19,956,000	20,807,000	37,584,000	40,757,000
Cost of sales	14,342,000	14,968,000	27,355,000	29,838,000
Gross profit	5,614,000	5,839,000	10,229,000	10,919,000
Selling, general and administrative expenses	1,886,000	2,143,000	3,402,000	4,425,000
Special charges	0	0	0	51,000
Income from operations	3,728,000	3,696,000	6,827,000	6,443,000
Other income (expense)	(19,000)	3,320,000	(7,000)	3,354,000
(Loss) earnings before interest and income taxes	3,709,000	7,016,000	6,820,000	9,797,000
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
(Loss) income before income taxes	3,709,000	7,016,000	6,820,000	9,797,000
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	131,000	(17,000)	131,000	55,000
Net income (loss)	3,578,000	7,033,000	6,689,000	9,742,000
Equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net (loss) income	3,578,000	7,033,000	6,689,000	9,742,000
Comprehensive income (loss)	3,818,000	9,311,000	7,053,000	9,781,000
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Consolidating Guarantor Non-Guarantor Financials [Line Items]
Net sales	96,850,000	107,408,000	190,009,000	190,752,000
Freight billed to customers	438,000	259,000	797,000	325,000
Total revenues	97,288,000	107,667,000	190,806,000	191,077,000
Cost of sales	80,774,000	87,640,000	155,186,000	155,841,000
Gross profit	16,514,000	20,027,000	35,620,000	35,236,000
Selling, general and administrative expenses	8,010,000	9,426,000	16,678,000	18,606,000
Special charges	0	0	0	0
Income from operations	8,504,000	10,601,000	18,942,000	16,630,000
Other income (expense)	630,000	(34,000)	(270,000)	2,690,000
(Loss) earnings before interest and income taxes	9,134,000	10,567,000	18,672,000	19,320,000
Interest expense	2,276,000	2,890,000	4,491,000	5,680,000
(Loss) income before income taxes	6,858,000	7,677,000	14,181,000	13,640,000
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	1,037,000	348,000	4,102,000	1,212,000
Net income (loss)	5,821,000	7,329,000	10,079,000	12,428,000
Equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net (loss) income	5,821,000	7,329,000	10,079,000	12,428,000
Comprehensive income (loss)	832,000	7,883,000	7,876,000	22,038,000
Eliminations [Member]
Consolidating Guarantor Non-Guarantor Financials [Line Items]
Net sales	(17,065,000)	(18,181,000)	(33,320,000)	(30,835,000)
Freight billed to customers	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	(17,065,000)	(18,181,000)	(33,320,000)	(30,835,000)
Cost of sales	(17,065,000)	(18,181,000)	(33,320,000)	(30,835,000)
Gross profit	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Special charges	0	0	0	0
Income from operations	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense)	0	0	0	0
(Loss) earnings before interest and income taxes	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
(Loss) income before income taxes	0	0	0	0
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries	744,000	(29,768,000)	(7,266,000)	(36,575,000)
Net (loss) income	744,000	(29,768,000)	(7,266,000)	(36,575,000)
Comprehensive income (loss)	$ 4,970,000	$ (43,626,000)	$ (11,062,000)	$ (66,572,000)