Capital Stock	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2017
Equity [Abstract]
Capital Stock	Capital Stock Preferred Stock - The Company has authorized 100,000 shares of $50 par value 4.5% cumulative preferred nonvoting stock which is callable at $52.50. There are 71,340 shares issued and 52,878 shares held in treasury at June 30, 2017. There were no treasury purchases of preferred stock during the three months ended June 30, 2017 or 2016. The Company has also authorized 1,000,000 shares of $10 par value second cumulative preferred voting stock. No shares have been issued as of June 30, 2017. Common Stock - The Company has authorized 180,000,000 shares of no par value common stock. There were 62,081,391 shares issued as of December 31, 2016. No new shares have been issued in 2017. There were 38,183,510 and 37,736,578 shares outstanding at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively. Treasury Shares - In 2015, the Board of Directors adopted a stock repurchase program. The program authorizes up to $100.0 million to repurchase MSA common stock in the open market and in private transactions. The share purchase program has no expiration date. The maximum shares that may be purchased is calculated based on the dollars remaining under the program and the respective month-end closing share price. No shares were repurchased during the six months ended June 30, 2017 or 2016. We do not have any other share purchase programs. There were 23,897,881 and 24,344,813 Treasury Shares at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively. The Company issues Treasury Shares for all share based benefit plans. Shares are issued from Treasury at the average Treasury Share cost on the date of the transaction. There were 514,704 Treasury Shares issued for these purposes during the six months ended June 30, 2017.

Capital Stock

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2017

Preferred Stock - The Company has authorized 100,000 shares of $50 par value 4.5% cumulative preferred nonvoting stock which is callable at $52.50. There are 71,340 shares issued and 52,878 shares held in treasury at June 30, 2017. There were no treasury purchases of preferred stock during the three months ended June 30, 2017 or 2016. The Company has also authorized 1,000,000 shares of $10 par value second cumulative preferred voting stock. No shares have been issued as of June 30, 2017.

Common Stock - The Company has authorized 180,000,000 shares of no par value common stock. There were 62,081,391 shares issued as of December 31, 2016. No new shares have been issued in 2017. There were 38,183,510 and 37,736,578 shares outstanding at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively.

Treasury Shares - In 2015, the Board of Directors adopted a stock repurchase program. The program authorizes up to $100.0 million to repurchase MSA common stock in the open market and in private transactions. The share purchase program has no expiration date. The maximum shares that may be purchased is calculated based on the dollars remaining under the program and the respective month-end closing share price. No shares were repurchased during the six months ended June 30, 2017 or 2016. We do not have any other share purchase programs. There were 23,897,881 and 24,344,813 Treasury Shares at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively.

The Company issues Treasury Shares for all share based benefit plans. Shares are issued from Treasury at the average Treasury Share cost on the date of the transaction. There were 514,704 Treasury Shares issued for these purposes during the six months ended June 30, 2017.