BASIS OF PRESENTATION	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
BASIS OF PRESENTATION	As used in this report, the term “Company,” except as otherwise indicated by the context, means Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. and its wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries for which it has a controlling interest. The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, these unaudited consolidated financial statements do not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. However, in the opinion of management, these unaudited consolidated financial statements contain all the adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods. Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2015 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the year ending December 31, 2015. The accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2014 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date, but does not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014. Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior year financial statements to conform to current year classifications. Venezuela — Highly Inflationary Economy Venezuela is a highly inflationary economy under GAAP. As a result, the financial statements of the Company’s Venezuelan operation are reported under highly inflationary accounting rules as of January 1, 2010. Under highly inflationary accounting, the financial statements of the Company’s Venezuelan operation have been remeasured into the Company’s reporting currency and exchange gains and losses from the remeasurement of monetary assets and liabilities are reflected in current earnings. In January 2014, the Venezuelan government announced the formation of the National Center of Foreign Trade (“CENCOEX”) to replace the Commission for the Administration of Currency Exchange (“CADIVI”). Effective January 24, 2014, the exchange rate applicable to the settlement of certain transactions through CENCOEX, including payments of dividends and royalties, changed to utilize the Complementary System of Foreign Currency Administration ("SICAD") auction-based exchange rate (the "SICAD I rate") as opposed to the official rate. In February 2014, the government announced a new market based foreign exchange system, the SICAD II. The exchange rate established through SICAD II fluctuated daily and was significantly higher than both the official rate and the SICAD I rate. As of March 31, 2014, the Company determined that the rate used in remeasuring the Venezuelan operation's financial statements into U.S. dollars would change to the SICAD I rate as future remittances for dividend payments could be transacted at the SICAD I rate. As of March 31, 2014, the SICAD I rate was 10.7 bolivars to the U.S. dollar, which resulted in a remeasurement loss on the bolivar-denominated monetary net asset position of $17,665 which was recorded in Selling, general & administrative expenses in the three months ended March 31, 2014. Additionally, the Company incurred higher Cost of goods sold of $3,468 during the second quarter of 2014, related to the adoption of the SICAD I rate. The SICAD I rate is determined by periodic auctions which may result in additional losses or gains on a remeasurement of the bolivar-denominated monetary net asset position. In February 2015, the Venezuelan government announced a new exchange market called the Marginal Currency System ("SIMADI"), which replaced the SICAD II exchange and allows for trading based on supply and demand. While there remains considerable uncertainty as to the nature and volume of transactions that will flow through the various currency exchange mechanisms, the Company has determined that the SICAD I rate remains the most appropriate exchange rate for the Company to utilize in remeasuring the Venezuelan operation's financial statements into U.S. dollars. As of March 31, 2015, the SICAD I rate was 12.0 bolivars to the U.S dollar. If in the future the Company were to convert bolivars at a rate other than the SICAD I rate, the Company may realize additional losses or gains to earnings. Future impacts to earnings of applying highly inflationary accounting for Venezuela on the Company’s consolidated financial statements will be dependent upon the applied currency exchange mechanisms, the movements in the applicable exchange rates between the bolivar and the U.S. dollar and the amount of monetary assets and liabilities included in the Company’s Venezuelan operation’s balance sheet. The bolivar-denominated monetary net asset position was $1,314 at March 31, 2015, including $6,223 of cash and cash equivalents and the bolivar-denominated monetary net liability position was $1,264 at December 31, 2014, including $2,124 of cash and cash equivalents. New Accounting Pronouncements: In April 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standard Update ("ASU") No. 2015-03, "Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30)." ASU 2015-03 requires debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs are not affected by the new amendment. The new guidance will be applied on a retrospective basis to each prior reporting period presented. Upon transition, the Company is required to comply with applicable disclosures for a change in accounting principle. The amendment is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of ASU 2015-03 on the Company's financial statements. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)." ASU 2014-09 requires an entity to recognize revenue in a manner that depicts the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. To achieve that core principle, the amendment provides five steps that an entity should apply when recognizing revenue. The amendment also specifies the accounting of some costs to obtain or fulfill a contract with a customer and expands the disclosure requirements around contracts with customers. An entity can either adopt this amendment retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented or retrospectively with the cumulative effect of initially applying the update recognized at the date of initial application. The amendment is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is not permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of ASU 2014-09 on the Company's financial statements.

As used in this report, the term “Company,” except as otherwise indicated by the context, means Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. and its wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries for which it has a controlling interest. The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, these unaudited consolidated financial statements do not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. However, in the opinion of management, these unaudited consolidated financial statements contain all the adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods. Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2015 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the year ending December 31, 2015.

The accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2014 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date, but does not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014.

Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior year financial statements to conform to current year classifications.

Venezuela — Highly Inflationary Economy

Venezuela is a highly inflationary economy under GAAP. As a result, the financial statements of the Company’s Venezuelan operation are reported under highly inflationary accounting rules as of January 1, 2010. Under highly inflationary accounting, the financial statements of the Company’s Venezuelan operation have been remeasured into the Company’s reporting currency and exchange gains and losses from the remeasurement of monetary assets and liabilities are reflected in current earnings.

In January 2014, the Venezuelan government announced the formation of the National Center of Foreign Trade (“CENCOEX”) to replace the Commission for the Administration of Currency Exchange (“CADIVI”). Effective January 24, 2014, the exchange rate applicable to the settlement of certain transactions through CENCOEX, including payments of dividends and royalties, changed to utilize the Complementary System of Foreign Currency Administration ("SICAD") auction-based exchange rate (the "SICAD I rate") as opposed to the official rate. In February 2014, the government announced a new market based foreign exchange system, the SICAD II. The exchange rate established through SICAD II fluctuated daily and was significantly higher than both the official rate and the SICAD I rate.

As of March 31, 2014, the Company determined that the rate used in remeasuring the Venezuelan operation's financial statements into U.S. dollars would change to the SICAD I rate as future remittances for dividend payments could be transacted at the SICAD I rate. As of March 31, 2014, the SICAD I rate was 10.7 bolivars to the U.S. dollar, which resulted in a remeasurement loss on the bolivar-denominated monetary net asset position of $17,665 which was recorded in Selling, general & administrative expenses in the three months ended March 31, 2014. Additionally, the Company incurred higher Cost of goods sold of $3,468 during the second quarter of 2014, related to the adoption of the SICAD I rate. The SICAD I rate is determined by periodic auctions which may result in additional losses or gains on a remeasurement of the bolivar-denominated monetary net asset position.

In February 2015, the Venezuelan government announced a new exchange market called the Marginal Currency System ("SIMADI"), which replaced the SICAD II exchange and allows for trading based on supply and demand. While there remains considerable uncertainty as to the nature and volume of transactions that will flow through the various currency exchange mechanisms, the Company has determined that the SICAD I rate remains the most appropriate exchange rate for the Company to utilize in remeasuring the Venezuelan operation's financial statements into U.S. dollars. As of March 31, 2015, the SICAD I rate was 12.0 bolivars to the U.S dollar. If in the future the Company were to convert bolivars at a rate other than the SICAD I rate, the Company may realize additional losses or gains to earnings.

Future impacts to earnings of applying highly inflationary accounting for Venezuela on the Company’s consolidated financial statements will be dependent upon the applied currency exchange mechanisms, the movements in the applicable exchange rates between the bolivar and the U.S. dollar and the amount of monetary assets and liabilities included in the Company’s Venezuelan operation’s balance sheet. The bolivar-denominated monetary net asset position was $1,314 at March 31, 2015, including $6,223 of cash and cash equivalents and the bolivar-denominated monetary net liability position was $1,264 at December 31, 2014, including $2,124 of cash and cash equivalents.

New Accounting Pronouncements:

In April 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standard Update ("ASU") No. 2015-03, "Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30)." ASU 2015-03 requires debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs are not affected by the new amendment. The new guidance will be applied on a retrospective basis to each prior reporting period presented. Upon transition, the Company is required to comply with applicable disclosures for a change in accounting principle. The amendment is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of ASU 2015-03 on the Company's financial statements.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)." ASU 2014-09 requires an entity to recognize revenue in a manner that depicts the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. To achieve that core principle, the amendment provides five steps that an entity should apply when recognizing revenue. The amendment also specifies the accounting of some costs to obtain or fulfill a contract with a customer and expands the disclosure requirements around contracts with customers. An entity can either adopt this amendment retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented or retrospectively with the cumulative effect of initially applying the update recognized at the date of initial application. The amendment is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is not permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of ASU 2014-09 on the Company's financial statements.