Long-Term Debt and Financing Arrangements (Detail) (USD $)	Apr. 04, 2015	Jan. 03, 2015
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Derivative, Notional Amount		$ 950,000,000invest_DerivativeNotionalAmount
Long-term debt fair value adjustment	14,000,000swk_FairValueAdjustmentOfDebt
Commercial paper borrowings outstanding	585,200,000swk_CommercialPaperAmountOutstanding	0swk_CommercialPaperAmountOutstanding
Commercial paper borrowings capacity	2,000,000,000
Long-term Debt, Gross	3,861,500,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount	3,845,700,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
Less: Current maturities of long-term debt	(5,800,000)us-gaap_LongTermDebtCurrent	(5,900,000)us-gaap_LongTermDebtCurrent
Long-term debt	3,855,700,000us-gaap_LongTermDebtNoncurrent	3,839,800,000us-gaap_LongTermDebtNoncurrent
Convertible notes payable due in 2018 (junior subordinated)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	4.25%	4.25%
Long-term Debt, Gross	632,500,000	632,500,000
Notes 2 Point 25 Percent due 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	2.25%
Long-term debt, interest rate		2.25%
Long-term Debt, Gross	345,000,000	345,000,000
Notes payable due 2021
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	3.40%
Long-term debt, interest rate		3.40%
Long-term Debt, Gross	410,500,000	403,900,000
Notes Payable due 2022 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Gross	753,800,000	753,800,000
Notes Payable Maturities 2022 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	2.90%
Long-term debt, interest rate		2.90%
Notes payable due 2028
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	7.05%
Long-term debt, interest rate		7.05%
Long-term Debt, Gross	170,200,000	166,000,000
Notes payable due 2040
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	5.20%
Long-term debt, interest rate		5.20%
Long-term Debt, Gross	362,400,000	362,100,000
Notes 5 Point 75 Percent Due 2052 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	5.75%
Long-term debt, interest rate		5.75%
Long-term Debt, Gross	750,000,000	750,000,000
Notes 5 Point 75 Percent due 2053 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	5.75%
Long-term debt, interest rate		5.75%
Long-term Debt, Gross	404,100,000	398,700,000
Other, payable in varying amounts through 2021
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Gross	33,000,000	33,700,000
Other, payable in varying amounts through 2021 \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	0.00%	0.00%
Other, payable in varying amounts through 2021 \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	6.62%	7.14%
New Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Current Borrowing Capacity	1,500,000,000
Fixed to Floating Interest Rate Swap \| Notes payable due 2021
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, face amount	400,000,000
Fixed to Floating Interest Rate Swap \| Notes payable due 2028
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, face amount	150,000,000
Fixed to Floating Interest Rate Swap \| Notes payable due 2040
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, face amount	400,000,000
Cash Flow Hedges \| Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Derivative, Notional Amount	$ 400,000,000

Aggregate notional amount specified by the derivative(s). Expressed as an absolute value.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Article 12

-Section 13

-Sentence Column B

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Commercial Paper, Amount Outstanding

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- Definition

Fair Value Adjustment Of Debt

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Amount of long-term debt before deduction of unamortized discount or premium. Includes, but is not limited to, notes payable, bonds payable, commercial loans, mortgage loans, convertible debt, subordinated debt and other types of debt, with initial maturities beyond one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 20

-Article 5

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 16

-Article 9

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Face (par) amount of debt instrument at time of issuance.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 835

-SubTopic 30

-Section 45

-Paragraph 2

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6451184&loc=d3e28551-108399

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 835

-SubTopic 30

-Section 55

-Paragraph 8

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=34725769&loc=d3e28878-108400

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- Definition

Effective interest rate for the funds borrowed under the debt agreement considering interest compounding and original issue discount or premium.

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Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 835

-SubTopic 30

-Section 45

-Paragraph 2

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6451184&loc=d3e28551-108399

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(1))

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Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

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Amount of current borrowing capacity under the credit facility considering any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed (for example, borrowings may be limited by the amount of current assets), but without considering any amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

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Amount of long-term debt, after unamortized discount or premium, scheduled to be repaid within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer. Includes, but not limited to, notes payable, bonds payable, debentures, mortgage loans and commercial paper. Excludes capital lease obligations.

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Carrying amount of long-term debt, net of unamortized discount or premium, excluding amounts to be repaid within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer (current maturities). Includes, but not limited to, notes payable, bonds payable, debentures, mortgage loans and commercial paper. Excludes capital lease obligations.

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