Subsequent events (Details) (USD $)								0 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2014 Senior Notes [Member] Subsidiary, Libbey Glass [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Senior Notes [Member] Subsidiary, Libbey Glass [Member]	May 18, 2012 Senior Notes [Member] Subsidiary, Libbey Glass [Member]	May 09, 2014 Senior Notes [Member] Subsidiary, Libbey Glass [Member] Subsequent Event [Member]	Apr. 09, 2014 Senior Notes [Member] Subsidiary, Libbey Glass [Member] Subsequent Event [Member]	Apr. 09, 2014 Senior Loans [Member] Subsidiary, Libbey Glass [Member] Subsequent Event [Member]	Apr. 09, 2014 London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] Senior Loans [Member] Subsidiary, Libbey Glass [Member] Subsequent Event [Member]	Apr. 09, 2014 London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] Minimum [Member] Senior Loans [Member] Subsidiary, Libbey Glass [Member] Subsequent Event [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Debt instrument, face amount					$ 450,000,000			$ 440,000,000
Applicable rates									3.00%	0.75%
Instrument rate at commencement								3.75%
Debt, Long-term and Short-term, Gross	413,124,000	413,227,000	405,000,000	405,000,000			405,000,000
Debt Instrument, Repurchase Amount						$ 45,000,000	$ 360,000,000