CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	Total	Common Stock [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	Treasury Stock [Member]
Balance at Sep. 30, 2013	$ 601,714	$ 301	$ 284,565	$ 407,512	$ (16,656)	$ (74,008)
Balance (in Shares) at Sep. 30, 2013		30,148
Comprehensive income (loss):
Net (loss) earnings	410	$ 0	0	410	0	0
Translation adjustments, net of tax	(844)	0	0	0	(844)	0
Net unrecognized actuarial loss, net of tax	(1,686)	0	0	0	(1,686)	0
Cash dividends declared	(8,471)	0	0	(8,471)	0	0
Stock options and stock compensation plans, net of tax benefit	1,018	$ 1	740	0	0	277
Stock options and stock compensation plans, net of tax benefit (in Shares)		100
Purchases into treasury	(11,970)	$ 0	0	0	0	(11,970)
Ending Balance at Sep. 30, 2014	580,171	$ 302	285,305	399,451	(19,186)	(85,701)
Ending Balance (in Shares) at Sep. 30, 2014		30,248
Comprehensive income (loss):
Net (loss) earnings	42,512	$ 0	0	42,512	0	0
Translation adjustments, net of tax	(6,297)	0	0	0	(6,297)	0
Net unrecognized actuarial loss, net of tax	(6,961)	0	0	0	(6,961)	0
Forward exchange contract, net of tax	(94)	0	0	0	(94)	0
Cash dividends declared	(8,331)	0	0	(8,331)	0	0
Stock options and stock compensation plans, net of tax benefit	1,430	$ 2	1,180	0	0	248
Stock options and stock compensation plans, net of tax benefit (in Shares)		111
Purchases into treasury	(18,248)	$ 0	0	0	0	(18,248)
Ending Balance at Sep. 30, 2015	584,182	$ 304	286,485	433,632	(32,538)	(103,701)
Ending Balance (in Shares) at Sep. 30, 2015		30,359
Comprehensive income (loss):
Net (loss) earnings	45,882	$ 0	0	45,882	0	0
Translation adjustments, net of tax	(1,462)	0	0	0	(1,462)	0
Net unrecognized actuarial loss, net of tax	(5,250)	0	0	0	(5,250)	0
Forward exchange contract, net of tax	(33)	0	0	0	(33)	0
Cash dividends declared	(8,242)	0	0	(8,242)	0	0
Stock options and stock compensation plans, net of tax benefit	4,335	$ 0	4,103	0	0	232
Stock options and stock compensation plans, net of tax benefit (in Shares)		5
Purchases into treasury	(4,303)	$ 0	0	0	0	(4,303)
Ending Balance at Sep. 30, 2016	$ 615,109	$ 304	$ 290,588	$ 471,272	$ (39,283)	$ (107,772)
Ending Balance (in Shares) at Sep. 30, 2016		30,364