BASIS OF PRESENTATION	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
BASIS OF PRESENTATION	BASIS OF PRESENTATION As used in this report, the term “Company,” except as otherwise indicated by the context, means Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. and its wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries for which it has a controlling interest. The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, these unaudited consolidated financial statements do not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. However, in the opinion of management, these unaudited consolidated financial statements contain all the adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods. Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2014 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the year ending December 31, 2014. The accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2013 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date, but does not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013. Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior year financial statements to conform to current year classifications. Venezuela — Highly Inflationary Economy Venezuela is a highly inflationary economy under GAAP. As a result, the financial statements of the Company’s Venezuelan operation are reported under highly inflationary accounting rules as of January 1, 2010. Under highly inflationary accounting, the financial statements of the Company’s Venezuelan operation have been remeasured into the Company’s reporting currency and exchange gains and losses from the remeasurement of monetary assets and liabilities are reflected in current earnings. On February 8, 2013, the Venezuelan government announced the devaluation of its currency relative to the U.S. dollar. Effective February 13, 2013, the official rate moved from 4.3 to 6.3 bolivars to the U.S. dollar. During the three months ended March 31, 2013, the devaluation of the bolivar resulted in a foreign currency transaction loss of $8,081 in Selling, general & administrative expenses and higher Cost of goods sold of $1,579 due to the liquidation of inventory valued at the historical exchange rate. In January 2014, the Venezuela government announced the formation of the National Center of Foreign Trade (“CENCOEX”) to replace the Commission for the Administration of Currency Exchange (“CADIVI”). Effective January 24, 2014, the exchange rate applicable to the settlement of certain transactions through CENCOEX, including payments of dividends and royalties, changed to utilize the Complementary System of Foreign Currency Administration ("SICAD") auction-based exchange rate (the "SICAD I rate") as opposed to the official rate. In February 2014, the government announced a new market based foreign exchange system, the SICAD II. The exchange rate established through SICAD II fluctuates daily and is significantly higher than both the official rate and the SICAD I rate. While there remains considerable uncertainty as to the nature and volume of transactions that will flow through the various currency exchange mechanisms, the Company has determined that the SICAD I rate is the most appropriate exchange rate for the Company to utilize in remeasuring the Venezuelan operation's financial statements into U.S. dollars. This determination was made as a result of the Company's assertion as of March 31, 2014 that any future remittances for dividend payments could be transacted at the SICAD I rate. As of March 31, 2014, the SICAD I rate was 10.7 bolivars to the U.S. dollar, which resulted in a remeasurement loss on the bolivar-denominated monetary net asset position of $17,665 which was recorded in Selling, general & administrative expenses in the three months ended March 31, 2014. Additionally, the Company expects higher Cost of goods sold of $3,468 during the second quarter of 2014, due to the liquidation of inventory valued at the historical exchange rate. As previously discussed, the SICAD I rate is determined by periodic auctions and therefore the rate is likely to fluctuate in future periods which may result in additional losses or gains on a remeasurement of the bolivar-denominated monetary net asset position. Future impacts to earnings of applying highly inflationary accounting for Venezuela on the Company’s consolidated financial statements will be dependent upon the applied currency exchange mechanisms, the movements in the applicable exchange rates between the bolivar and the U.S. dollar and the amount of monetary assets and liabilities included in the Company’s Venezuelan operation’s balance sheet. The bolivar-denominated monetary net asset position was $25,294 at March 31, 2014, including $23,936 of cash and cash equivalents and $38,633 at December 31, 2013, including $50,642 of cash and cash equivalents.

BASIS OF PRESENTATION

As used in this report, the term “Company,” except as otherwise indicated by the context, means Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. and its wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries for which it has a controlling interest. The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, these unaudited consolidated financial statements do not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. However, in the opinion of management, these unaudited consolidated financial statements contain all the adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods. Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2014 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the year ending December 31, 2014.

The accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2013 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date, but does not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013.

Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior year financial statements to conform to current year classifications.

Venezuela — Highly Inflationary Economy

Venezuela is a highly inflationary economy under GAAP. As a result, the financial statements of the Company’s Venezuelan operation are reported under highly inflationary accounting rules as of January 1, 2010. Under highly inflationary accounting, the financial statements of the Company’s Venezuelan operation have been remeasured into the Company’s reporting currency and exchange gains and losses from the remeasurement of monetary assets and liabilities are reflected in current earnings. On February 8, 2013, the Venezuelan government announced the devaluation of its currency relative to the U.S. dollar. Effective February 13, 2013, the official rate moved from 4.3 to 6.3 bolivars to the U.S. dollar. During the three months ended March 31, 2013, the devaluation of the bolivar resulted in a foreign currency transaction loss of $8,081 in Selling, general & administrative expenses and higher Cost of goods sold of $1,579 due to the liquidation of inventory valued at the historical exchange rate.

In January 2014, the Venezuela government announced the formation of the National Center of Foreign Trade (“CENCOEX”) to replace the Commission for the Administration of Currency Exchange (“CADIVI”). Effective January 24, 2014, the exchange rate applicable to the settlement of certain transactions through CENCOEX, including payments of dividends and royalties, changed to utilize the Complementary System of Foreign Currency Administration ("SICAD") auction-based exchange rate (the "SICAD I rate") as opposed to the official rate. In February 2014, the government announced a new market based foreign exchange system, the SICAD II. The exchange rate established through SICAD II fluctuates daily and is significantly higher than both the official rate and the SICAD I rate.

While there remains considerable uncertainty as to the nature and volume of transactions that will flow through the various currency exchange mechanisms, the Company has determined that the SICAD I rate is the most appropriate exchange rate for the Company to utilize in remeasuring the Venezuelan operation's financial statements into U.S. dollars. This determination was made as a result of the Company's assertion as of March 31, 2014 that any future remittances for dividend payments could be transacted at the SICAD I rate. As of March 31, 2014, the SICAD I rate was 10.7 bolivars to the U.S. dollar, which resulted in a remeasurement loss on the bolivar-denominated monetary net asset position of $17,665 which was recorded in Selling, general & administrative expenses in the three months ended March 31, 2014. Additionally, the Company expects higher Cost of goods sold of $3,468 during the second quarter of 2014, due to the liquidation of inventory valued at the historical exchange rate. As previously discussed, the SICAD I rate is determined by periodic auctions and therefore the rate is likely to fluctuate in future periods which may result in additional losses or gains on a remeasurement of the bolivar-denominated monetary net asset position.

Future impacts to earnings of applying highly inflationary accounting for Venezuela on the Company’s consolidated financial statements will be dependent upon the applied currency exchange mechanisms, the movements in the applicable exchange rates between the bolivar and the U.S. dollar and the amount of monetary assets and liabilities included in the Company’s Venezuelan operation’s balance sheet. The bolivar-denominated monetary net asset position was $25,294 at March 31, 2014, including $23,936 of cash and cash equivalents and $38,633 at December 31, 2013, including $50,642 of cash and cash equivalents.