Capital Stock	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2018
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, 2018. There were no treasury purchases of preferred stock during the six months ended June 30, 2018 or 2017. 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, 2018. 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, 2017. No new shares have been issued in 2018. There were 38,420,340 and 38,222,928 shares outstanding at June 30, 2018, and December 31, 2017, respectively. Treasury Shares - On May 12, 2015, the Board of Directors adopted a stock repurchase program replacing the existing 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 number of 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, 2018 or 2017. We do not have any other share repurchase programs. There were 23,661,051 and 23,858,463 Treasury Shares at June 30, 2018, and December 31, 2017, 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 241,732 and 514,704 Treasury Shares issued for these purposes during the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

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, 2018. There were no treasury purchases of preferred stock during the six months ended June 30, 2018 or 2017. 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, 2018.

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, 2017. No new shares have been issued in 2018. There were 38,420,340 and 38,222,928 shares outstanding at June 30, 2018, and December 31, 2017, respectively.

Treasury Shares - On May 12, 2015, the Board of Directors adopted a stock repurchase program replacing the existing 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 number of 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, 2018 or 2017. We do not have any other share repurchase programs. There were 23,661,051 and 23,858,463 Treasury Shares at June 30, 2018, and December 31, 2017, 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 241,732 and 514,704 Treasury Shares issued for these purposes during the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.