Condensed Consolidated Guarantor Financial Statements (Statement of Comprehensive Income) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011
Consolidating Guarantor Non-Guarantor Financials [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 209,150,000	$ 207,246,000	$ 606,226,000	$ 602,274,000
Freight billed to customers	1,015,000	511,000	2,482,000	1,760,000
Total revenues	210,165,000	207,757,000	608,708,000	604,034,000
Cost of sales	158,956,000	162,873,000	458,096,000	473,168,000
Gross profit	51,209,000	44,884,000	150,612,000	130,866,000
Selling, general and administrative expenses	26,887,000	26,739,000	82,391,000	77,365,000
Special charges	0	(232,000)	0	(281,000)
Income (loss) from operations	24,322,000	18,377,000	68,221,000	53,782,000
Other income (expense)	(195,000)	2,237,000	(31,434,000)	5,504,000
Earnings (loss) before interest and income taxes	24,127,000	20,614,000	36,787,000	59,286,000
Interest expense	8,720,000	10,559,000	29,085,000	32,929,000
Income (loss) before income taxes	15,407,000	10,055,000	7,702,000	26,357,000
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	546,000	2,928,000	2,343,000	4,825,000
Net income (loss)	14,861,000	7,127,000	5,359,000	21,532,000
Equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss)	14,861,000	7,127,000	5,359,000	21,532,000
Comprehensive income (loss)	21,630,000	4,412,000	17,763,000	39,165,000
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 (loss) from operations	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) before interest and income taxes	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) 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	14,861,000	7,127,000	5,359,000	21,532,000
Net income (loss)	14,861,000	7,127,000	5,359,000	21,532,000
Comprehensive income (loss)	21,630,000	4,412,000	17,763,000	39,165,000
Libbey Glass (Issuer) [Member]
Consolidating Guarantor Non-Guarantor Financials [Line Items]
Net sales	104,840,000	104,363,000	308,017,000	299,287,000
Freight billed to customers	140,000	137,000	436,000	491,000
Total revenues	104,980,000	104,500,000	308,453,000	299,778,000
Cost of sales	79,164,000	85,442,000	229,083,000	240,893,000
Gross profit	25,816,000	19,058,000	79,370,000	58,885,000
Selling, general and administrative expenses	17,261,000	15,587,000	52,685,000	43,182,000
Special charges	0	(232,000)	0	(332,000)
Income (loss) from operations	8,555,000	3,703,000	26,685,000	16,035,000
Other income (expense)	(541,000)	1,083,000	(31,503,000)	(1,694,000)
Earnings (loss) before interest and income taxes	8,014,000	4,786,000	(4,818,000)	14,341,000
Interest expense	6,719,000	7,838,000	22,593,000	24,528,000
Income (loss) before income taxes	1,295,000	(3,052,000)	(27,411,000)	(10,187,000)
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	(1,536,000)	134,000	(3,972,000)	764,000
Net income (loss)	2,831,000	(3,186,000)	(23,439,000)	(10,951,000)
Equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries	12,030,000	10,313,000	28,798,000	32,483,000
Net income (loss)	14,861,000	7,127,000	5,359,000	21,532,000
Comprehensive income (loss)	21,630,000	4,412,000	17,763,000	39,165,000
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Consolidating Guarantor Non-Guarantor Financials [Line Items]
Net sales	20,210,000	17,393,000	57,420,000	57,580,000
Freight billed to customers	158,000	174,000	532,000	744,000
Total revenues	20,368,000	17,567,000	57,952,000	58,324,000
Cost of sales	14,483,000	12,783,000	41,838,000	42,621,000
Gross profit	5,885,000	4,784,000	16,114,000	15,703,000
Selling, general and administrative expenses	1,495,000	1,704,000	4,897,000	6,129,000
Special charges	0	0	0	51,000
Income (loss) from operations	4,390,000	3,080,000	11,217,000	9,523,000
Other income (expense)	9,000	(101,000)	2,000	3,253,000
Earnings (loss) before interest and income taxes	4,399,000	2,979,000	11,219,000	12,776,000
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) before income taxes	4,399,000	2,979,000	11,219,000	12,776,000
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	0	0	131,000	55,000
Net income (loss)	4,399,000	2,979,000	11,088,000	12,721,000
Equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss)	4,399,000	2,979,000	11,088,000	12,721,000
Comprehensive income (loss)	4,522,000	3,066,000	11,575,000	12,847,000
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Consolidating Guarantor Non-Guarantor Financials [Line Items]
Net sales	104,166,000	106,831,000	294,175,000	297,583,000
Freight billed to customers	717,000	200,000	1,514,000	525,000
Total revenues	104,883,000	107,031,000	295,689,000	298,108,000
Cost of sales	85,375,000	85,989,000	240,561,000	241,830,000
Gross profit	19,508,000	21,042,000	55,128,000	56,278,000
Selling, general and administrative expenses	8,131,000	9,448,000	24,809,000	28,054,000
Special charges	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) from operations	11,377,000	11,594,000	30,319,000	28,224,000
Other income (expense)	337,000	1,255,000	67,000	3,945,000
Earnings (loss) before interest and income taxes	11,714,000	12,849,000	30,386,000	32,169,000
Interest expense	2,001,000	2,721,000	6,492,000	8,401,000
Income (loss) before income taxes	9,713,000	10,128,000	23,894,000	23,768,000
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	2,082,000	2,794,000	6,184,000	4,006,000
Net income (loss)	7,631,000	7,334,000	17,710,000	19,762,000
Equity in net income (loss) of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss)	7,631,000	7,334,000	17,710,000	19,762,000
Comprehensive income (loss)	10,244,000	2,490,000	18,120,000	24,528,000
Eliminations [Member]
Consolidating Guarantor Non-Guarantor Financials [Line Items]
Net sales	(20,066,000)	(21,341,000)	(53,386,000)	(52,176,000)
Freight billed to customers	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	(20,066,000)	(21,341,000)	(53,386,000)	(52,176,000)
Cost of sales	(20,066,000)	(21,341,000)	(53,386,000)	(52,176,000)
Gross profit	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Special charges	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) from operations	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) before interest and income taxes	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) 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	(26,891,000)	(17,440,000)	(34,157,000)	(54,015,000)
Net income (loss)	(26,891,000)	(17,440,000)	(34,157,000)	(54,015,000)
Comprehensive income (loss)	$ (36,396,000)	$ (9,968,000)	$ (47,458,000)	$ (76,540,000)