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Earnings Per Share - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)
In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified
12 Months Ended 36 Months Ended
Oct. 31, 2014
Oct. 31, 2013
Oct. 31, 2012
Oct. 31, 2014
Class of Stock [Line Items]        
Number of shares authorized to be purchased 4,000,000us-gaap_StockRepurchaseProgramNumberOfSharesAuthorizedToBeRepurchased     4,000,000us-gaap_StockRepurchaseProgramNumberOfSharesAuthorizedToBeRepurchased
Shares repurchased of common stock 3,184,272us-gaap_TreasuryStockNumberOfSharesHeld     3,184,272us-gaap_TreasuryStockNumberOfSharesHeld
Total cost of the shares repurchased     $ 0us-gaap_TreasuryStockValueAcquiredCostMethod $ 0.1us-gaap_TreasuryStockValueAcquiredCostMethod
Antidilutive stock option 0us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareAmount 0us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareAmount 0us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareAmount  
Class A Common Stock [Member]        
Class of Stock [Line Items]        
Calculation of EPS (i) multiply 40 percent times the average Class A shares outstanding, then divide that amount by the product of 40 percent of the average Class A shares outstanding plus 60 percent of the average Class B shares outstanding to get a percentage, (ii) undistributed net income divided by the average Class A shares outstanding, (iii) multiply item (i) by item (ii), (iv) add item (iii) to the Class A cash dividend per share. Diluted shares are factored into the Class A calculation.      
Percentage of shares outstanding used in two class method calculation 40.00%gef_PercentageOfSharesOutstandingUsedInTwoClassMethodCalculation
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_CommonClassAMember
     
Cumulative dividends per share 0.01gef_CumulativeAnnualDividendsPerShareRate
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_CommonClassAMember
     
Common stock dividend per share 0.01gef_AdditionalDividendPerShare
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_CommonClassAMember
     
Voting rights The Class A Common Stock has no voting rights unless four quarterly cumulative dividends upon the Class A Common Stock are in arrears.      
Repurchase of common stock 0us-gaap_StockRepurchasedDuringPeriodShares
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_CommonClassAMember
     
Shares repurchased of common stock 1,425,452us-gaap_TreasuryStockNumberOfSharesHeld
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_CommonClassAMember
    1,425,452us-gaap_TreasuryStockNumberOfSharesHeld
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_CommonClassAMember
Class B Common Stock [Member]        
Class of Stock [Line Items]        
Calculation of EPS (i) multiply 60 percent times the average Class B shares outstanding, then divide that amount by the product of 40 percent of the average Class A shares outstanding plus 60 percent of the average Class B shares outstanding to get a percentage, (ii) undistributed net income divided by the average Class B shares outstanding, (iii) multiply item (i) by item (ii), (iv) add item (iii) to the Class B cash dividend per share. Class B diluted EPS is identical to Class B basic EPS.      
Percentage of shares outstanding used in two class method calculation 60.00%gef_PercentageOfSharesOutstandingUsedInTwoClassMethodCalculation
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_CommonClassBMember
     
Non-Cumulative dividends per share 0.005gef_NonCumulativeAnnualDividendsPerShare
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_CommonClassBMember
     
Common stock dividend per share 0.015gef_AdditionalDividendPerShare
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_CommonClassBMember
     
Voting rights The Class B Common Stock has full voting rights.      
Repurchase of common stock 0us-gaap_StockRepurchasedDuringPeriodShares
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_CommonClassBMember
     
Shares repurchased of common stock 1,758,820us-gaap_TreasuryStockNumberOfSharesHeld
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_CommonClassBMember
    1,758,820us-gaap_TreasuryStockNumberOfSharesHeld
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_CommonClassBMember