Capital Stock	9 Months Ended
Sep. 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 September 30, 2017. There were no treasury purchases of preferred stock during the nine months ended September 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 September 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 38,025,521 and 37,736,578 shares outstanding at September 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. There were 168,941 shares repurchased during nine months ended September 30, 2017 No shares were repurchased during the nine months ended September 30, 2016. We do not have any other share purchase programs. There were 24,055,870 and 24,344,813 Treasury Shares at September 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 526,890 Treasury Shares issued for these purposes during the nine months ended September 30, 2017.

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 September 30, 2017. There were no treasury purchases of preferred stock during the nine months ended September 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 September 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 38,025,521 and 37,736,578 shares outstanding at September 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. There were 168,941 shares repurchased during nine months ended September 30, 2017 No shares were repurchased during the nine months ended September 30, 2016. We do not have any other share purchase programs. There were 24,055,870 and 24,344,813 Treasury Shares at September 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 526,890 Treasury Shares issued for these purposes during the nine months ended September 30, 2017.