Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 03, 2011
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Principles of Consolidation, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Principles of Consolidation CLARCOR Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company” or “CLARCOR”) is a global provider of filtration products, filtration systems and services, and consumer and industrial packaging products. As discussed further in Note O, the Company has three reportable segments: Engine/Mobile Filtration, Industrial/Environmental Filtration and Packaging. The Consolidated Financial Statements include all domestic and foreign subsidiaries that were more than 50% owned and controlled as of each respective reporting period presented. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.
Accounting Period, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Accounting Period The Company's fiscal year-end is the Saturday closest to November 30, typically resulting in a fifty-two week year, but occasionally giving rise to an additional week, resulting in a fifty-three week year. The fiscal year ended December 3, 2011 was a fifty-three week year. The fiscal years ended November 27, 2010 and November 28, 2009 were comprised of fifty-two weeks. For clarity of presentation in the Consolidated Financial Statements, all fiscal years are shown to begin as of December 1 and end as of November 30.
Use of Management's Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Use of Management's Estimates The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results will differ from those estimates.
Foreign Currency Translation, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Foreign Currency Translation and Transactions Financial statements of foreign subsidiaries are translated into U.S. dollars at current rates, except that revenues, costs, expenses and cash flows are translated at average rates during each reporting period and equity accounts are translated at historical rates. Net exchange gains or losses resulting from the translation of foreign financial statements are accumulated with other comprehensive earnings (losses) as a separate component of shareholders' equity and are presented in the Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity. Transaction gains and losses that arise from exchange rate fluctuations on transactions denominated in a currency other than the functional currency are included in the results of operations as incurred.
Cash and Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Cash and Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash Highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased and that are readily saleable are considered to be cash and cash equivalents. Restricted cash represents funds held in escrow and cash balances held by German banks as collateral for certain guarantees of overseas subsidiaries. Restricted cash classified as current corresponds to guarantees that expire within one year. The Company also has $1,590 and $2,016 of noncurrent restricted cash recorded in Other noncurrent assets as of November 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively, corresponding to guarantees and escrow agreements that expire longer than one year from the dates of the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash represent financial instruments with potential credit risk. The Company mitigates the risk by investing the assets with financially strong institutions.
Derivatives, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Derivatives From time-to-time, the Company may make use of derivative financial instruments to manage certain interest rate and foreign currency risks. Fixed rate interest swap agreements may be utilized to convert certain floating rate debt into fixed rate debt. Unrealized gains or losses are recorded in Interest expense in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings, and periodic settlement payments are a component of cash flows from operating activities in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. The Company recognizes all derivatives on the balance sheet at fair value (see Note E). Derivatives that are not accounted for as hedges are adjusted to fair value through income. The Company documents all relationships between hedging instruments and hedged items, as well as its risk-management objective and strategy for undertaking various hedge transactions. In addition, the Company assesses (both at the hedge’s inception and on an ongoing basis) the effectiveness of the derivatives that are used in hedging transactions. If it is determined that a derivative is not (or has ceased to be) effective as a hedge, the Company discontinues hedge accounting prospectively. Ineffective portions of changes in the fair value of cash flow hedges would be recognized in interest expense. At November 30, 2011 and 2010, the Company did not have any derivative financial instruments that qualified for hedge accounting.
Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Losses, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Losses Trade accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount and do not bear interest. Trade accounts receivable represent financial instruments with potential credit risk. The allowance for losses is the Company’s best estimate of the amount of probable credit losses in its existing accounts receivable. The Company determines the allowance based on economic conditions in the industries to which the Company sells and on historical experience by evaluating specific customer accounts for risk of loss, fluctuations in amounts owed and current payment trends. The allowances provided are estimates that may be impacted by economic and market conditions which could have an effect on future allowance requirements and results of operations. The Company reviews its allowance for doubtful accounts monthly. Past due balances over ninety days and over a specified amount are reviewed individually for collectability. Account balances are charged off against the allowance when it is probable the receivable will not be recovered.
Inventory, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Inventories Inventories are valued at the lower of cost or market primarily determined on the first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) method of inventory costing, which approximates current cost. The Company periodically assesses its inventories for potential excess, slow movement and obsolescence and adjusts inventory values accordingly.
Property, Plant and Equipment, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Property, Plant and Equipment Depreciation is determined by the straight-line method for financial statement purposes and by the accelerated method for tax purposes. The provision for depreciation is based on the estimated useful lives of the assets (15 to 40 years for buildings and improvements, the shorter of the asset life or the life of the lease for leasehold improvements and leased equipment and 3 to 15 years for machinery and equipment). It is the Company’s policy to capitalize the cost of renewals and betterments and to charge to expense the cost of current maintenance and repairs. When property or equipment is retired or otherwise disposed of, the net book value of the asset is removed from the Company’s books and the resulting gain or loss is reflected in operating profit. Plant assets classified as Assets held for sale are initially measured at the lesser of the assets’ carrying amount or the fair value less costs to sell. Gains or losses are recognized for any subsequent changes in the fair value less cost to sell; however, gains are only recognized to the extent of cumulative losses previously recognized. Plant assets classified as Assets held for sale are not depreciated.
Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Goodwill and Acquired Intangible Assets The Company recognizes the excess of the cost of an acquired entity over the net amount assigned to assets acquired and liabilities assumed as goodwill. Goodwill is tested for impairment at the reporting unit level on an annual basis during the fourth quarter and between annual tests in certain circumstances. Impairment losses would be recognized whenever the implied fair value of goodwill is less than its carrying value. The Company recognizes an acquired intangible asset apart from goodwill whenever the asset arises from contractual or other legal rights, or whenever it is capable of being separated or divided from the acquired entity and sold, transferred, licensed, rented or exchanged, either individually or in combination with a related contract, asset or liability. An intangible asset other than goodwill is amortized over its estimated useful life unless that life is determined to be indefinite. Most of the Company’s trade names and trademarks have indefinite useful lives and are subject to impairment testing. All other acquired intangible assets, including patents (average 13 year life), and other identifiable intangible assets with lives ranging from 2 to 30 years, are being amortized using the straight-line method over the estimated periods to be benefited. The Company reviews the lives of its definite-lived intangible assets at least annually during the fourth quarter, and if necessary, impairment losses are recognized if the carrying amount of an intangible subject to amortization is not recoverable from expected future cash flows and its carrying amount exceeds its fair value.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Impairment of Long-Lived Assets The Company determines any impairment losses based on underlying cash flows related to specific groups of acquired long-lived assets, including plant assets, associated identifiable intangible assets and goodwill, when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable.
Income Taxes, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Income Taxes The Company provides for income taxes and recognizes deferred tax liabilities and assets for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the financial statement carrying amounts and the tax basis of assets and liabilities. The Company does not provide deferred taxes on unremitted foreign earnings from certain foreign affiliates that are intended to be indefinitely reinvested to finance operations and expansion outside the United States.
Income Taxes, Uncertainties, Policy [Policy Text Block]	The Company accounts for uncertain tax positions in accordance with guidance issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”). This guidance applies broadly to all tax positions taken by a company, including decisions to not report income in a tax return or to classify a transaction as tax exempt. The approach is a two-step benefit recognition model. The amount of benefit to recognize is measured as the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being ultimately realized upon settlement. The tax position is derecognized when it is no longer more likely than not of being sustained. The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to unrecognized benefits in income tax expense.
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Earnings (Loss), Policy [Policy Text Block]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Earnings (Loss) Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax, consists of foreign currency translation adjustments and pension related gains and losses, prior service costs and credits and any remaining transition amounts that have not yet been recognized through net periodic benefit costs.
Stock-based Compensation, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Stock-based Compensation Stock-based employee compensation cost is recognized using the fair-value based method for all awards granted on or after the beginning of fiscal year 2006. The Company issues stock option awards and restricted stock unit awards to employees and issues stock option awards and restricted stock to non-employee directors under its stock-based incentive plans. The fair value of each option grant is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. Compensation cost related to restricted stock units is recorded based on the market price of the Company’s common stock on the grant date. The Company recognizes compensation expense from the date of grant on a straight-line basis over a four year period or to the date retirement eligibility is achieved, whichever is shorter. For those who are already retirement eligible on the date of grant, compensation expense is recognized immediately.
Revenue Recognition, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Revenue Recognition Revenue is recognized when product ownership and risk of loss have transferred to the customer or performance of services is complete and the Company has no remaining obligations regarding the transaction. Estimated discounts, rebates and sales returns are recorded as a reduction of sales in the same period revenue is recognized. Shipping and handling costs are recorded as revenue when billed to customers. The related shipping and handling expenses are included in Cost of sales. The Company acquired a business during 2008 which uses the percentage of completion accounting revenue recognition method for qualifying contracts under which products are manufactured to customer specifications. Approximately $40,072, $40,500 and $35,600 of the Company’s total revenue for fiscal year 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively, was recognized under the percentage of completion accounting method. Revenue is recognized on contracts utilizing the percentage of completion method based on costs incurred as a percentage of estimated total costs. Revenue recognized on uncompleted contracts in excess of amounts billed to customers is reflected as a current asset. Amounts billed to customers in excess of revenue recognized on uncompleted contracts are reflected as a current liability. When it is estimated that a contract will result in a loss, the entire amount of the estimated loss is accrued. The effect of revisions in costs and profit estimated for contracts is reflected in the accounting period in which the facts requiring the revisions become known.
Product Warranties, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Product Warranties The Company provides for estimated warranty costs when the related products are recorded as sales or for specific items at the time existence of the claims is known and the amounts are reasonably determinable.
Research and Development, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Research and Development The Company charges research and development costs, relating to the development of new products or the improvement or redesign of its existing products, to expense when incurred.
Insurance, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Insurance Insurance coverage is generally obtained for certain property and casualty exposures, workers’ compensation and general liability, as well as risks that require insurance by law or contract. The Company self-insures for certain other insurable risks, primarily employee medical coverage, which the Company carries insurance for certain losses above specified amounts. Liabilities are determined using estimates, including actuarial where applicable, of the aggregate liability for claims incurred and an estimate of incurred but not reported claims, on an undiscounted basis.
Guarantees, Policies [Policy Text Block]	Guarantees At November 30, 2011, the Company has letters of credit totaling $25,623 issued to various government agencies, primarily related to industrial revenue bonds, and to insurance companies and other entities in support of its obligations. The Company believes that no payments will be required resulting from these obligations. In the ordinary course of business, the Company also provides routine indemnifications and other guarantees whose terms range in duration and often are not explicitly defined. The Company does not believe these will have a material impact on the results of operations or financial condition of the Company.
New Pronouncements [Table Text Block]	New Pronouncements In September 2011, the FASB issued amendments to its goodwill impairment testing guidance to simplify how entities test for goodwill impairments. The amendments are intended to reduce complexity and cost by providing a company the option of making an initial qualitative evaluation about the likelihood of goodwill impairment in determining whether it should calculate the fair value of a reporting unit. The amendments also include examples of events and circumstances that a company should consider in evaluating whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. The amendments are effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011, although early adoption is permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption of this guidance on December 1, 2012 to have a material impact on the Consolidated Financial Statements. In June 2011, the FASB issued amendments to its comprehensive income guidance to (a) improve the comparability, consistency and transparency of financial reporting, (b) increase the prominence of items reported in other comprehensive income and (c) facilitate the convergence of U.S. GAAP with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). The amendments require all non-owner changes in shareholders' equity be presented either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. The required amendments, pursuant to the guidance, must be applied retrospectively. In December 2011, the FASB issued amendments to defer certain presentation requirements of the initial guidance. The guidance is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011, although early adoption is permitted. The adoption of this guidance on December 1, 2012 will affect the presentation of the Consolidated Statements of Earnings and the Consolidated Statements of Shareholders' Equity, but will not have a material effect on the Company’s financial position or results of operations. In May 2011, the FASB issued guidance amending fair value measurement and disclosure requirements in order to align U.S. GAAP and IFRS. Consequently, the amendments change the wording used to describe many of the requirements in U.S. GAAP for measuring fair value and for disclosing information about fair value measurements. Some of the amendments clarify the intent about the application of existing fair value measurement requirements, while other amendments change a particular principle or requirement for measuring fair value or for disclosing information about fair value measurements. The Company does not expect the adoption of this guidance on March 1, 2012 to have a material impact on the Consolidated Financial Statements. In December 2010, the FASB issued guidance which amends the pro-forma disclosure requirements for business combinations and specifies that if a public company presents comparative financial statements, the company should disclose revenue and earnings of the combined entity as though business combinations occurring during the year had occurred as of the beginning of the comparable prior annual reporting period only. The guidance also expands the pro-forma disclosure requirements to include a description of the nature and amount of material, nonrecurring pro-forma adjustments directly attributable to the business combination included in the reported pro-forma revenue and earnings. The Company does not expect the adoption of this guidance on December 1, 2011 to have a material impact on the Consolidated Financial Statements. In February 2010, the FASB issued guidance which amended its subsequent events guidance issued in May 2009. This guidance eliminated the requirement for a United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filer to disclose the date through which subsequent events were evaluated and refined the scope of the disclosure requirement for reissued financial statements. The impact of adopting this guidance affected disclosures in the Consolidated Financial Statements. In January 2010, the FASB issued guidance related to fair value measurements (see Note E) requiring new disclosures regarding transfers in and out of Level 1 and 2 and requiring the gross presentation of activity within Level 3. The guidance also clarifies existing disclosures of inputs and valuation techniques for Level 2 and 3 fair value measurements. Additionally, the guidance includes conforming amendments to employers’ disclosures about postretirement benefit plan assets. The new disclosures and clarifications of existing disclosures are effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2009 (except for the disclosure of activity within Level 3 fair value measurements which is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2010 and for interim periods within those years). The impact of adopting this guidance resulted in additional disclosures in the Consolidated Financial Statements. In October 2009, the FASB issued guidance on revenue arrangements with multiple deliverables effective for the Company’s 2011 fiscal year. The guidance revises the criteria for separating, measuring, and allocating arrangement consideration to each deliverable in a multiple element arrangement. The guidance requires companies to allocate revenue using the relative selling price of each deliverable, which must be estimated if the company does not have a history of selling the deliverable on a stand-alone basis or third-party evidence of selling price. The impact of adopting this guidance on December 1, 2010 was not material to the Consolidated Financial Statements. In December 2008, the FASB expanded the required disclosures for pension and other postretirement plans by requiring disclosures about how investment allocation decisions are made by management, major categories of plan assets and significant concentration of risk. Additionally, an employer is required to disclose information about the valuation of plan assets. The impact of adopting this guidance on November 30, 2010 affected the disclosures in the Consolidated Financial Statements. In June 2008, the FASB issued guidance that requires that unvested share-based payment awards that contain nonforfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents (whether paid or unpaid) be considered participating securities and be included in the computation of earnings per share pursuant to the two-class method. The Company’s unvested restricted stock unit awards discussed in Note M qualify as participating securities under this guidance. The impact of adopting this guidance on December 1, 2009 was not material to the Consolidated Financial Statements. In December 2007, the FASB issued guidance affecting the accounting for businesses acquired, the presentation of noncontrolling interests, previously called minority interests, and requiring that assets acquired or liabilities assumed in a business combination and arising from a contingency be recognized at fair value at the acquisition date if the acquisition date fair value can be determined during the measurement period. The Company adopted this guidance on December 1, 2009. The guidance dealing with noncontrolling interests was retroactively applied to all prior period information for presentation and disclosure requirements and resulted in the reclassification of certain prior year amounts. For all periods presented, noncontrolling interests are classified in the Consolidated Balance Sheets as either a separate component of Total shareholders’ equity or as Redeemable noncontrolling interests. Net earnings attributable to CLARCOR and the noncontrolling interests are reflected in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings. Payments for the acquisition of noncontrolling interests in entities of which the Company did not previously have control are included in investing activities in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. Payments for acquisitions of noncontrolling interest in entities of which the Company did have previous control are treated as equity transactions and are included in financing activities in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. Prior to the adoption of this guidance, payments related to controlled entities were included in investing activities.