PENSION AND OTHER POST-RETIREMENT BENEFITS (Funded Status of HNH's Qualified Defined Benefit Pension Plans and Postretirement Benefit Plans) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Handy & Harman Ltd. (HNH) | Pension Benefits
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation at January 1	$ 531,824	$ 494,272
JPS and API pension plan acquisitions	117,688	0
Service cost	54	0
Interest cost	21,286	20,518
Actuarial (gain) loss	(19,814)	51,274
Participant contributions	0	0
Plan change	0	0
Benefits paid	(37,644)	(34,276)
Transfer from Canfield Salaried SEPP	0	36
Benefit obligation at December 31	613,394	531,824	$ 494,272
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at January 1	323,493	351,869
JPS and API pension plan acquisition	87,321	0
Actual returns on plan assets	(43,273)	(14,676)
Participant contributions	0	0
Benefits paid	(37,644)	(34,276)
Company contributions	18,024	20,540
Transfer from Canfield Salaried SEPP	0	36
Fair value of plan assets at December 31	347,921	323,493	351,869
Funded status	(265,473)	(208,331)
Accumulated benefit obligation	613,394	531,824	494,272
Current liability	0	0
Non-current liability	(265,473)	(208,331)
Total	(265,473)	(208,331)
Handy & Harman Ltd. (HNH) | Other Post-Retirement Benefits
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation at January 1	1,356	1,084
JPS and API pension plan acquisitions	0	0
Service cost	0	0
Interest cost	46	49
Actuarial (gain) loss	159	293
Participant contributions	1	1
Plan change	0	0
Benefits paid	(349)	(71)
Transfer from Canfield Salaried SEPP	0	0
Benefit obligation at December 31	1,213	1,356	1,084
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at January 1	0	0
JPS and API pension plan acquisition	0	0
Actual returns on plan assets	0	0
Participant contributions	1	1
Benefits paid	(349)	(71)
Company contributions	348	70
Transfer from Canfield Salaried SEPP	0	0
Fair value of plan assets at December 31	0	0	0
Funded status	(1,213)	(1,356)
Accumulated benefit obligation	1,213	1,356	$ 1,084
Current liability	(119)	(124)
Non-current liability	(1,094)	(1,232)
Total	(1,213)	(1,356)
API | Pension Benefits
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation at January 1	0
JPS and API pension plan acquisitions	142,164
Service cost	0
Interest cost	3,444
Actuarial (gain) loss	(3,175)
Participant contributions	0
Plan change	0
Benefits paid	(3,394)
Transfer from Canfield Salaried SEPP	0
Benefit obligation at December 31	139,039	0
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at January 1	0
JPS and API pension plan acquisition	131,973
Actual returns on plan assets	(34)
Participant contributions	0
Benefits paid	(3,394)
Company contributions	690
Transfer from Canfield Salaried SEPP	0
Fair value of plan assets at December 31	129,235	0
Funded status	(9,804)
Accumulated benefit obligation	139,039	$ 0
Current liability	0
Non-current liability	(9,804)
Total	$ (9,804)