Net Income Per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended												12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2015	[1]	Sep. 25, 2015	Jun. 26, 2015	Mar. 27, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	[1]	Sep. 26, 2014	Jun. 27, 2014	[2]	Mar. 28, 2014	[3]	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Net income available to Colfax Corporation common shareholders		$ 44,197		$ 18,359	$ 53,127	$ 52,056	$ 80,134		$ 73,389	$ 191,785		$ 24,877		$ 167,739	$ 370,185	$ 158,232
Less: net income attributable to participating securities	[4]													0	0	(3,740)
Net income - basic														$ 167,739	$ 370,185	$ 154,492
Weighted-average shares of Common stock outstanding - basic														124,101,033	121,143,790	99,198,570
Net income per share- basic		$ 0.36		$ 0.15	$ 0.43	$ 0.42	$ 0.65		$ 0.59	$ 1.55		$ 0.22		$ 1.35	$ 3.06	$ 1.56
Less: net income attributable to participating securities	[4]													$ 0	$ 0	$ (3,740)
Net income - diluted														$ 167,739	$ 370,185	$ 154,492
Net effect of potentially dilutive securities - stock options and restricted stock units														768,616	1,522,502	1,167,885
Weighted-average shares of Common stock outstanding - diluted														124,869,649	122,666,292	100,366,455
Net income per share- diluted		$ 0.36		$ 0.15	$ 0.42	$ 0.42	$ 0.64		$ 0.59	$ 1.53		$ 0.22		$ 1.34	$ 3.02	$ 1.54

[1] Net income and Net income per share for the three months ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, was favorably impacted by the enactment of the U.S. tax extenders packages related to the exemption from taxation of certain foreign income in the United States.

[2] Net income and Net income per share for the three months ended June 27, 2014 includes the benefit of deferred tax assets as a result of the effect of the Victor Acquisition on expected future income. This reassessment resulted in a decrease in the Company’s valuation allowance against U.S. deferred tax assets. The reduction in the valuation allowance created a non-cash income tax benefit for the three months ended June 27, 2014 of $113.1 million.

[3] On February 12, 2014 the Company entered into a Conversion Agreement with the BDT Investor. As consideration for the BDT Investor’s agreement to exercise its optional conversion right, the Company paid approximately $23.4 million to the BDT Investor, of which $19.6 million represents the Preferred stock conversion inducement payment. See Note 11, “Equity” for additional information regarding the Preferred stock conversion inducement payment.

[4] Net income per share - diluted for the period from January 13, 2012 to April 23, 2013 was calculated consistently with the two-class method in accordance with GAAP, as further discussed below. Subsequent to April 23, 2013 and prior to February 12, 2014, Net income per share - diluted was calculated consistently with the if-converted method in accordance with GAAP, as further discussed below. However, for the year ended December 31, 2013, the calculation under this method was anti-dilutive.