Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	9 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Accounting, Policy [Policy Text Block]	The unaudited interim financial statements as of and for the nine months ended March 31, 2018 have been prepared by The L.S. Starrett Company (the “Company”) in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for interim financial reporting. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and notes required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. These unaudited financial statements, which, in the opinion of management, reflect all adjustments (including normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair presentation, should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10 -K for the year ended June 30, 2017. Operating results are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any future interim period or for the entire fiscal year. The preparation of financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make judgments, assumptions and estimates that affect amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Note 2 to the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Annual Report on Form 10 -K for the year ended June 30, 2017 describes the significant accounting policies and methods used in the preparation of the consolidated financial statements.
New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]	In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2014 - 09, "Revenues from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606 )," which outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes most current revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. The standard requires entities to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods and services. The new guidance also includes a cohesive set of disclosure requirements intended to provide users of financial statements comprehensive information about the nature, amounts, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from a company's contracts with customers. ASU 2014 - 09 defines a five -step process to achieve this core principle and in doing so, it is possible that more judgment and estimates may be required within the revenue recognition process than are required under existing guidance, including identifying performance obligations in the contract, estimating the amount of variable consideration to include in the transaction price and allocating the transaction price to separate performance obligations, among others. The new standard will be effective for the Company beginning July 1, 2018. The FASB issued four subsequent standards in 2016 containing implementation guidance related to the new standard. These standards provide additional guidance related to principal versus agent considerations, licensing, and identifying performance obligations. Additionally, these standards provide narrow-scope improvements and practical expedients as well as technical corrections and improvements. The guidance permits two methods of adoption: retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented (full retrospective method), or retrospectively with the cumulative effect of initially applying the guidance recognized at the date of initial application (the modified retrospective method). The Company will be adopting the standard using the modified retrospective method effective July 1, 2018. The Company expects to complete our implementation procedures with respect to the new revenue recognition standard during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2018. While the Company continues to assess the impact of the new standard, it should be noted that revenues are primarily generated from the sale of finished products to customers, and that sales predominantly contain a single delivery element and that revenue is recognized at a single point in time when ownership, risks and rewards transfer. The timing of revenue recognition for these product sales is not materially impacted by the new standard. However, the Company is utilizing a comprehensive approach to assess the impact of the guidance on its current contract portfolio by reviewing its current accounting policies and practices to identify potential differences that would result from applying the new requirements to the Company’s revenue contracts, including evaluation of performance obligations in the contract, estimating the amount of variable consideration to include in the transaction price, allocating the transaction price to each separate performance obligation and accounting treatment of costs to obtain and fulfill contracts. While certain differences may arise specifically related to variable consideration and consideration payable to a customer, the Company does not expect these differences to materially impact our consolidated financial statements. In addition, the Company is currently analyzing our internal control over financial reporting framework to determine if controls should be added or modified as a result of adopting this standard, and reviewing the tax impact, if any, the adoption of the new standard may have. The Company also expects that the adoption of the new standard will result in expanded and disaggregated disclosure requirements. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016 - 02, “Leases (Topic 842 )”. The ASU requires that organizations that lease assets recognize assets and liabilities on the balance sheet for the rights and obligations created by those leases. The ASU will affect the presentation of lease related expenses on the income statement and statement of cash flows and will increase the required disclosures related to leases. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of ASU No. 2016 - 02 on its consolidated financial statements. It is expected that a key change upon adoption will be the balance sheet recognition of leased assets and liabilities and that any changes in income statement recognition will not be material. In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016 - 16, "Income Taxes (Topic 740 ): Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory", which is intended to improve the accounting for the income tax consequences of intra-entity transfers of assets other than inventory. This update removes the current exception in GAAP prohibiting entities from recognizing current and deferred income tax expenses or benefits related to transfer of assets, other than inventory, within the consolidated entity. The current exception to defer the recognition of any tax impact on the transfer of inventory within the consolidated entity until it is sold to a third party remains unaffected. The amendments in this update are effective for public entities for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted. The adoption of ASU No. 2016 - 16 is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017 - 01, "Business Combinations (Topic 805 ) - Clarifying the Definition of a Business", with the objective to assist entities with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets versus businesses. The amendments in ASU 2017 - 01 provide a screen to determine when a set of assets and activities is not a business. The screen requires that when substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired (or disposed of) is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or a group of similar identifiable assets, the set is not a business. This screen is expected to reduce the number of transactions that need to be further evaluated. If the screen is not met, the amendments in ASU 2017 - 01 (i) require that to be considered a business, a set of assets and liabilities acquired must include, at a minimum, an input and a substantive process that together significantly contribute to the ability to create output; and (ii) remove the evaluation of whether a market participant could replace missing elements. The amendments in this ASU are effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and should be applied prospectively. Early adoption is permitted for transactions for which the acquisition date occurs before the issuance date of ASU 2017 - 01, only when the transaction has not been reported in financial statements that have been issued or made available for issuance. The adoption of ASU No. 2017 - 01 is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017 - 04, "Intangibles-Goodwill and Other (Topic 350 ): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment". Under the new guidance, if a reporting unit's carrying value amount exceeds its fair value, an entity will record an impairment charge based on that difference. The impairment charge will be limited to the amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. The standard eliminates the requirement to calculate goodwill impairment using Step 2, which calculates an impairment charge by comparing the implied fair value of goodwill with its carrying amount. The standard does not change the guidance on completing Step 1 of the goodwill impairment test. The amendments in this ASU are effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2019 and should be applied prospectively for annual and any interim goodwill impairment tests. Early adoption is permitted for entities for interim or annual goodwill impairment tests performed on testing dates after January 1, 2017. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the update on its consolidated financial statements. In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018 - 02, “Income Statement – Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220 ): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income”. For deferred tax items recognized in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (AOCI), changes in tax rates can leave amounts “stranded” in AOCI. Under ASU 2018 - 02, FASB has given companies an option to reclassify the stranded tax effects resulting from the tax law and tax rate changes under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 from AOCI to retained earnings. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 and requires companies to disclosure whether they are or are not opting to reclassify the income tax effects from the new 2017 tax act. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this update on its consolidated financial statements. In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018 - 05, “Income Taxes (Topic 740 ): Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118”. This update codified the guidance provided in SAB 118 on applying ASC 740, Income Taxes, if the accounting for certain income tax effects of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 is incomplete when the financial statements are issued for a reporting period. This update was effective upon issuance. Therefore, the Company has applied the guidance in this update within our consolidated financial statements for the quarter ended March 31, 2018. See Note 9: “Income Taxes”, of this Form 10 -Q for more information on the adoption of this guidance.

May 2014,

the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU")

2014

09,

"Revenues from Contracts with Customers (Topic

606

)," which outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes most current revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. The standard requires entities to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods and services. The new guidance also includes a cohesive set of disclosure requirements intended to provide users of financial statements comprehensive information about the nature, amounts, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from a company's contracts with customers. ASU

2014

defines a

five

-step process to achieve this core principle and in doing so, it is possible that more judgment and estimates

may

be required within the revenue recognition process than are required under existing guidance, including identifying performance obligations in the contract, estimating the amount of variable consideration to include in the transaction price and allocating the transaction price to separate performance obligations, among others. The new standard will be effective for the Company beginning

July 1, 2018.

The FASB issued

four

subsequent standards in

2016

containing implementation guidance related to the new standard. These standards provide additional guidance related to principal versus agent considerations, licensing, and identifying performance obligations. Additionally, these standards provide narrow-scope improvements and practical expedients as well as technical corrections and improvements.

The guidance permits

two

methods of adoption: retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented (full retrospective method), or retrospectively with the cumulative effect of initially applying the guidance recognized at the date of initial application (the modified retrospective method). The Company will be adopting the standard using the modified retrospective method effective

July 1, 2018.

The Company expects to complete our implementation procedures with respect to the new revenue recognition standard during the

fourth

quarter of fiscal year

2018.

While the Company continues to assess the impact of the new standard, it should be noted that revenues are primarily generated from the sale of finished products to customers, and that sales predominantly contain a single delivery element and that revenue is recognized at a single point in time when ownership, risks and rewards transfer. The timing of revenue recognition for these product sales is

not

materially impacted by the new standard. However, the Company is utilizing a comprehensive approach to assess the impact of the guidance on its current contract portfolio by reviewing its current accounting policies and practices to identify potential differences that would result from applying the new requirements to the Company’s revenue contracts, including evaluation of performance obligations in the contract, estimating the amount of variable consideration to include in the transaction price, allocating the transaction price to each separate performance obligation and accounting treatment of costs to obtain and fulfill contracts. While certain differences

may

arise specifically related to variable consideration and consideration payable to a customer, the Company does

not

expect these differences to materially impact our consolidated financial statements. In addition, the Company is currently analyzing our internal control over financial reporting framework to determine if controls should be added or modified as a result of adopting this standard, and reviewing the tax impact, if any, the adoption of the new standard

may

have. The Company also expects that the adoption of the new standard will result in expanded and disaggregated disclosure requirements.

February 2016,

the FASB issued ASU

No.

2016

02,

“Leases (Topic

842

)”. The ASU requires that organizations that lease assets recognize assets and liabilities on the balance sheet for the rights and obligations created by those leases. The ASU will affect the presentation of lease related expenses on the income statement and statement of cash flows and will increase the required disclosures related to leases. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after

December 15, 2018,

including interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of ASU

No.

2016

on its consolidated financial statements. It is expected that a key change upon adoption will be the balance sheet recognition of leased assets and liabilities and that any changes in income statement recognition will

not

be material.

October 2016,

the FASB issued ASU

No.

2016

16,

"Income Taxes (Topic

740

): Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory", which is intended to improve the accounting for the income tax consequences of intra-entity transfers of assets other than inventory. This update removes the current exception in GAAP prohibiting entities from recognizing current and deferred income tax expenses or benefits related to transfer of assets, other than inventory, within the consolidated entity. The current exception to defer the recognition of any tax impact on the transfer of inventory within the consolidated entity until it is sold to a

third

party remains unaffected. The amendments in this update are effective for public entities for annual reporting periods beginning after

December 15, 2017.

Early adoption is permitted. The adoption of ASU

No.

2016

not

expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

January 2017,

the FASB issued ASU

No.

2017

01,

"Business Combinations (Topic

805

) - Clarifying the Definition of a Business", with the objective to assist entities with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets versus businesses. The amendments in ASU

2017

provide a screen to determine when a set of assets and activities is

not

a business. The screen requires that when substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired (or disposed of) is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or a group of similar identifiable assets, the set is

not

a business. This screen is expected to reduce the number of transactions that need to be further evaluated. If the screen is

not

met, the amendments in ASU

2017

(i) require that to be considered a business, a set of assets and liabilities acquired must include, at a minimum, an input and a substantive process that together significantly contribute to the ability to create output; and (ii) remove the evaluation of whether a market participant could replace missing elements. The amendments in this ASU are effective for annual and interim periods beginning after

December 15, 2017

and should be applied prospectively. Early adoption is permitted for transactions for which the acquisition date occurs before the issuance date of ASU

2017

01,

only when the transaction has

not

been reported in financial statements that have been issued or made available for issuance. The adoption of ASU

No.

2017

not

expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

January 2017,

the FASB issued ASU

No.

2017

04,

"Intangibles-Goodwill and Other (Topic

350

): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment". Under the new guidance, if a reporting unit's carrying value amount exceeds its fair value, an entity will record an impairment charge based on that difference. The impairment charge will be limited to the amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. The standard eliminates the requirement to calculate goodwill impairment using Step

which calculates an impairment charge by comparing the implied fair value of goodwill with its carrying amount. The standard does

not

change the guidance on completing Step

of the goodwill impairment test. The amendments in this ASU are effective for annual and interim periods beginning after

December 15, 2019

and should be applied prospectively for annual and any interim goodwill impairment tests. Early adoption is permitted for entities for interim or annual goodwill impairment tests performed on testing dates after

January 1, 2017.

The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the update on its consolidated financial statements.

February 2018,

the FASB issued ASU

No.

2018

02,

“Income Statement – Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic

220

): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income”. For deferred tax items recognized in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (AOCI), changes in tax rates can leave amounts “stranded” in AOCI. Under ASU

2018

02,

FASB has given companies an option to reclassify the stranded tax effects resulting from the tax law and tax rate changes under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of

2017

from AOCI to retained earnings. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after

December 15, 2018

and requires companies to disclosure whether they are or are

not

opting to reclassify the income tax effects from the new

2017

tax act. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this update on its consolidated financial statements.

February 2018,

the FASB issued ASU

2018

05,

“Income Taxes (Topic

740

): Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin

No.

118”.

This update codified the guidance provided in SAB

118

on applying ASC

740,

Income Taxes, if the accounting for certain income tax effects of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of

2017

is incomplete when the financial statements are issued for a reporting period. This update was effective upon issuance. Therefore, the Company has applied the guidance in this update within our consolidated financial statements for the quarter ended

March 31, 2018.

See Note

“Income Taxes”, of this Form

-Q for more information on the adoption of this guidance.