Borrowings (Other Borrowings Narrative) (Details)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended									0 Months Ended							0 Months Ended		1 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2012 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2013 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2012 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2013 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2012 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2013 Warehouse Promissory Note [Member] Promissory Note [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Warehouse Promissory Note [Member] Promissory Note [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2001 Warehouse Promissory Note [Member] Promissory Note [Member] USD ($)	Jan. 23, 2006 Subsidiary, Libbey China [Member] RMB Loan Contract [Member] Construction Loans [Member] USD ($)	Jan. 23, 2006 Subsidiary, Libbey China [Member] RMB Loan Contract [Member] Construction Loans [Member] CNY	Oct. 10, 2013 Subsidiary, Libbey China [Member] RMB Loan Contract [Member] Construction Loans [Member] USD ($)	Oct. 10, 2013 Subsidiary, Libbey China [Member] RMB Loan Contract [Member] Construction Loans [Member] CNY	Sep. 30, 2013 Subsidiary, Libbey China [Member] RMB Loan Contract [Member] Construction Loans [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2013 Subsidiary, Libbey China [Member] RMB Loan Contract [Member] Construction Loans [Member] CNY	Dec. 31, 2012 Subsidiary, Libbey China [Member] RMB Loan Contract [Member] Construction Loans [Member] USD ($)	Aug. 14, 2013 Subsidiary, Libbey Portugal [Member] BES Euro Line [Member] Line of Credit [Member] USD ($)	Aug. 14, 2013 Subsidiary, Libbey Portugal [Member] BES Euro Line [Member] Line of Credit [Member] EUR (€)	Jan. 31, 2007 Subsidiary, Libbey Portugal [Member] BES Euro Line [Member] Line of Credit [Member] USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2007 Subsidiary, Libbey Portugal [Member] BES Euro Line [Member] Line of Credit [Member] EUR (€)	Sep. 30, 2013 Subsidiary, Libbey Portugal [Member] BES Euro Line [Member] Line of Credit [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Subsidiary, Libbey Portugal [Member] BES Euro Line [Member] Line of Credit [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2013 Subsidiary, Libbey Portugal [Member] AICEP Loan [Member] Loans Payable [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2013 Subsidiary, Libbey Portugal [Member] AICEP Loan [Member] Loans Payable [Member] EUR (€)	Dec. 31, 2012 Subsidiary, Libbey Portugal [Member] AICEP Loan [Member] Loans Payable [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2013 Notes Payable [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2013 Notes Payable [Member] EUR (€)	Sep. 30, 2013 Loans Payable [Member] Subsidiary, Libbey China [Member] RMB Working Capital Loan [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 02, 2013 Loans Payable [Member] Subsidiary, Libbey China [Member] RMB Working Capital Loan [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 02, 2013 Loans Payable [Member] Subsidiary, Libbey China [Member] RMB Working Capital Loan [Member] CNY	Dec. 31, 2012 Loans Payable [Member] Subsidiary, Libbey China [Member] RMB Working Capital Loan [Member] USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, face amount											$ 2,700,000	$ 40,800,000	250,000,000												$ 2,300,000	€ 1,700,000					$ 5,100,000	31,500,000
Interest rate									6.00%																0.00%	0.00%				6.30%
Total borrowings	423,001,000		423,001,000			466,059,000			738,000	903,000				4,900,000	30,000,000	9,780,000	60,000,000	9,522,000					0	4,362,000	2,348,000		1,272,000	0		5,135,000			0
Line of credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity																					14,900,000	11,000,000							1,000,000
Line of credit facility, interest rate at period end																												5.80%	5.80%
Debt instrument, term												8 years	8 years								7 years	7 years
Debt instrument, interest rate at period end												5.51%	5.51%			5.90%	5.90%
Repayments of Lines of Credit	22,200,000	0	42,800,000	0															4,500,000	3,300,000
Cash on hand	29,466,000	33,347,000	29,466,000	33,347,000	10,544,000	67,208,000	19,577,000	58,291,000
Redeemed notes, face amount														$ 4,900,000	30,000,000