DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS	12 Months Ended
Dec. 30, 2017
DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS [Abstract]
DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS	1. Description of Business The Eastern Company (the "Company") includes eight separate operating divisions located within the United States, two wholly-owned Canadian subsidiaries (one located in Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada, and one in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada), a wholly-owned Taiwanese subsidiary located in Taipei, Taiwan, a wholly-owned subsidiary in Hong Kong, two wholly-owned Chinese subsidiaries (one located in Shanghai, China, and one located in Dongguan, China) and two wholly-owned subsidiaries in Mexico (one located in Lerma, Mexico and one located in Reynosa, Mexico). The operations of the Company consist of three business segments: industrial hardware, security products, and metal products. The Industrial Hardware segment consists of Eberhard Manufacturing, Eberhard Hardware Manufacturing Ltd., Eastern Industrial Ltd, Velvac Holdings Inc., Canadian Commercial Vehicles Corporation, Composite Panel Technologies. and Sesamee Mexicana, S.A. de C.V. These businesses design, manufacture and market a diverse product line of custom and standard vehicular and industrial hardware, including passenger restraint and vehicular locks, latches, hinges, mirrors, mirror-cameras, light weight sleeper boxes and truck bodies. The segment's products can be found on tractor-trailer trucks, specialty commercial vehicles, recreational vehicles, fire and rescue vehicles, school buses, military vehicles and other vehicles. In addition, the segment designs and manufactures a wide selection of fasteners and other closure devices used to secure access doors on various types of industrial equipment such as metal cabinets, machinery housings and electronic instruments. The Security Products segment, Illinois Lock Company/CCL Security Products, World Lock Company Ltd., Dongguan Reeworld Security Products Ltd. and World Security Industries Ltd., Greenwald Industries, Argo EMS (formerly Argo Transdata). Illinois Lock Company/CCL Security Products design, manufactures and distributes custom engineered and many standard closing and locking systems, including vehicular accessory locks, cabinet locks, cam locks, electric switch locks, tubular key locks and combination padlocks. Greenwald manufactures and markets coin acceptors and other coin security products used primarily in the commercial laundry markets. Greenwald's products include timers, drop meters, coin chutes, money boxes, meter cases, smart cards, value transfer stations, smart card readers, card management software, assess control units. Argo EMS supplies printed circuit boards and other electronic assemblies. The Metal Products segment produces anchoring devices used in supporting the roofs of underground coal mines and specialty products which serve the construction, automotive, railroad and electrical industries. Sales are made to customers primarily in North America.

1. Description of Business

The Eastern Company (the "Company") includes eight separate operating divisions located within the United States, two wholly-owned Canadian subsidiaries (one located in Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada, and one in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada), a wholly-owned Taiwanese subsidiary located in Taipei, Taiwan, a wholly-owned subsidiary in Hong Kong, two wholly-owned Chinese subsidiaries (one located in Shanghai, China, and one located in Dongguan, China) and two wholly-owned subsidiaries in Mexico (one located in Lerma, Mexico and one located in Reynosa, Mexico).

The operations of the Company consist of three business segments: industrial hardware, security products, and metal products.

The Industrial Hardware segment consists of Eberhard Manufacturing, Eberhard Hardware Manufacturing Ltd., Eastern Industrial Ltd, Velvac Holdings Inc., Canadian Commercial Vehicles Corporation, Composite Panel Technologies. and Sesamee Mexicana, S.A. de C.V. These businesses design, manufacture and market a diverse product line of custom and standard vehicular and industrial hardware, including passenger restraint and vehicular locks, latches, hinges, mirrors, mirror-cameras, light weight sleeper boxes and truck bodies. The segment's products can be found on tractor-trailer trucks, specialty commercial vehicles, recreational vehicles, fire and rescue vehicles, school buses, military vehicles and other vehicles. In addition, the segment designs and manufactures a wide selection of fasteners and other closure devices used to secure access doors on various types of industrial equipment such as metal cabinets, machinery housings and electronic instruments.

The Security Products segment, Illinois Lock Company/CCL Security Products, World Lock Company Ltd., Dongguan Reeworld Security Products Ltd. and World Security Industries Ltd., Greenwald Industries, Argo EMS (formerly Argo Transdata). Illinois Lock Company/CCL Security Products design, manufactures and distributes custom engineered and many standard closing and locking systems, including vehicular accessory locks, cabinet locks, cam locks, electric switch locks, tubular key locks and combination padlocks. Greenwald manufactures and markets coin acceptors and other coin security products used primarily in the commercial laundry markets. Greenwald's products include timers, drop meters, coin chutes, money boxes, meter cases, smart cards, value transfer stations, smart card readers, card management software, assess control units. Argo EMS supplies printed circuit boards and other electronic assemblies.

The Metal Products segment produces anchoring devices used in supporting the roofs of underground coal mines and specialty products which serve the construction, automotive, railroad and electrical industries.

Sales are made to customers primarily in North America.