Borrowings (ABL Credit Agreement Narrative) (Details) $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 07, 2017 entity
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Covenant terms, conditional minimum fixed charge coverage ratio		1
Total borrowings		$ 400,068	$ 387,685
ABL Facility | Line of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Commitment fee percentage		0.25%
Libbey Glass and Libbey Europe | ABL Facility | Line of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Number of financial institutions participating | entity				4
Line of credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity		$ 100,000
Covenant, fixed charge coverage ratio, unused borrowing capacity below which covenant is applicable		10,000
Additional available borrowing capacity		$ 25,000
Borrowing base, component of sum, % of eligible accounts receivable		85.00%
Borrowing base, alternative component of sum, % of NOLV of eligible inventory		85.00%
Borrowing base, alternative component of sum, % of eligible inventory		65.00%
Borrowing base, alternative component of sum, amount		$ 75,000
Borrowing base, amount of rent reserves offset		500
Line of credit facility, remaining borrowing capacity		71,600	91,900
Libbey Glass and Libbey Europe | ABL Facility | Letter of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity		15,000
Line of credit facility, amount outstanding		$ 8,000
Libbey Glass | ABL Facility | Line of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Security, percent of entity stock		100.00%
Libbey Glass | Line of Credit, Swingline | Line of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity		$ 10,000
Subsidiaries, Present and Future Direct and Indirect Domestic Subsidiaries of Libbey Glass | ABL Facility | Line of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Security, percent of entity stock		100.00%
Subsidiaries, First-tier Present and Future Foreign Subsidiaries of Libbey Glass | ABL Facility | Line of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Security, percent of entity stock, non-voting		100.00%
Security, percent of entity stock, voting		65.00%
Subsidiary, Libbey Europe | ABL Facility | Line of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Security, percent of entity stock		100.00%
Subsidiary, Libbey Europe | Line of Credit, Swingline | Line of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity		$ 5,000
Subsidiaries, Dutch Subsidiaries of Libbey Europe | ABL Facility | Line of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Security, percent of entity stock		100.00%
Line of Credit | Libbey Glass and Libbey Europe | ABL Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total borrowings	[1],[2]	$ 19,868
Line of Credit | Libbey Glass | ABL Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total borrowings		3,500	0
Line of Credit | Subsidiary, Libbey Europe | ABL Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total borrowings		$ 16,400	$ 0
Minimum | Line of Credit | Libbey Glass and Libbey Europe | ABL Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest period		one month
Maximum | Subsidiaries, First-Tier Subsidiaries of Libbey Europe and its Dutch Subsidiaries | ABL Facility | Line of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Security, percent of entity stock		100.00%
Maximum | Line of Credit | Libbey Glass and Libbey Europe | ABL Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest period		six months
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) | Minimum | Line of Credit, Swingline | Line of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Applicable rates		0.00%
CB Floating Rate | Line of Credit, Swingline | Line of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Applicable rates		0.50%
Netherlands Swing Line Rate | Line of Credit, Swingline | Line of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Applicable rates		1.50%

[1] Maturity date will be January 9, 2021, if Term Loan B is not refinanced by this date.

[2] The interest rate for the ABL Facility is comprised of several different borrowings at various rates. The weighted average rate of all ABL Facility borrowings was 1.94 percent at December 31, 2018.