Stock Plans	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Stock Plans [Abstract]
Stock Plans	Stock Plans Most U.S. salaried and non-union hourly employees are eligible to participate in the Company’s 401(k) plan (the "Retirement Savings Plan"). The Retirement Savings Plan provides for the investment of employer and employee contributions in various investment alternatives including the Company’s common stock, at the employee’s direction. The Company contributes an amount equal to 50% of employee contributions up to 6% of eligible compensation. The Company expenses all contributions made to the Retirement Savings Plan. Effective January 1, 2013, the Retirement Savings Plan was amended to provide certain salaried employees hired on or after January 1, 2013 with an additional annual retirement contribution of 4% of eligible earnings. The Company recognized expense of $4,333, $4,088 and $3,660 in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. As of December 31, 2018, the Retirement Savings Plan held 1,075,692 shares of the Company’s common stock. The Company has an Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”) under which eligible employees may elect to have up to the lesser of $25 or 10% of base compensation deducted from their payroll checks for the purchase of the Company’s common stock at 95% of the average market value on the date of purchase. The maximum number of shares which may be purchased under the ESPP is 4,550,000. The number of shares purchased under the ESPP was 8,006, 7,734 and 11,804 in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The Company received cash proceeds from the purchase of these shares of $457, $444 and $427 in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. As of December 31, 2018, 269,665 additional shares may be purchased. The 1991 Barnes Group Stock Incentive Plan (the “1991 Plan”) authorized the granting of incentives to executive officers, directors and key employees in the form of stock options, stock appreciation rights, incentive stock rights and performance unit awards. On May 9, 2014, the 1991 Plan was merged into the 2014 Plan (defined below). The Barnes Group Inc. Employee Stock and Ownership Program (the “2000 Plan”) was approved on April 12, 2000, and subsequently amended on April 10, 2002 by the Company’s stockholders. The 2000 Plan permitted the granting of incentive stock options, nonqualified stock options, restricted stock awards, performance share or cash unit awards and stock appreciation rights, or any combination of the foregoing, to eligible employees to purchase up to 6,900,000 shares of the Company’s common stock. Such shares were authorized and reserved. On May 9, 2014, the 2000 Plan was merged into the 2014 Plan (defined below). The Barnes Group Stock and Incentive Award Plan (the “2004 Plan”) was approved on April 14, 2004, and subsequently amended on April 20, 2006 and May 7, 2010 by the Company’s stockholders. The 2004 Plan permits the issuance of incentive awards, stock option grants and stock appreciation rights to eligible participants to purchase up to 5,700,000 shares of common stock. On May 9, 2014, the 2004 Plan was merged into the 2014 Plan (defined below), and the remaining shares available for future grants under the 2004 Plan, as of the merger date, were made available under the 2014 Plan. The 2014 Barnes Group Stock and Incentive Award Plan (the “2014 Plan”) was approved on May 9, 2014 by the Company's stockholders. The 2014 Plan permits the issuance of incentive awards, stock option grants and stock appreciation rights to eligible participants to purchase up to 6,913,978 shares of common stock. The amount includes shares available for purchase under the 1991, 2000, and 2004 Plans which were merged into the 2014 Plan. The 2014 Plan allows for stock options and stock appreciation rights to be issued at a ratio of 1:1 and other types of incentive awards at a ratio of 2.84:1 from the shares available for future grants. As of December 31, 2018, there were 4,600,596 shares available for future grants under the 2014 Plan, inclusive of Shares Reacquired and shares made available through 2018 forfeitures. As of December 31, 2018, there were 1,281,844 shares of common stock outstanding to be issued upon the exercise of stock options and the vesting of Rights. Rights under the 2014 Plan entitle the holder to receive, without payment, one share of the Company’s common stock after the expiration of the vesting period. Certain of these Rights are also subject to the satisfaction of established performance goals. Additionally, holders of certain Rights are credited with dividend equivalents, which are converted into additional Rights, and holders of certain restricted stock units are paid dividend equivalents in cash when dividends are paid to other stockholders. All Rights have a vesting period of up to five years. Under the Non-Employee Director Deferred Stock Plan, as amended, each non-employee director who joined the Board of Directors prior to December 15, 2005 was granted the right to receive 12,000 shares of the Company’s common stock upon retirement. In 2018, 2017 and 2016, $22, $20 and $21, respectively, of dividend equivalents were paid in cash related to these shares. Compensation cost related to this plan was $8, $9 and $28 in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. There are 36,000 shares reserved for issuance under this plan. Each non-employee director who joined the Board of Directors subsequent to December 15, 2005 received restricted stock units under the respective 2004 or 2014 Plans. Total maximum shares reserved for issuance under all stock plans aggregated 6,188,105 at December 31, 2018.

Stock Plans

Most U.S. salaried and non-union hourly employees are eligible to participate in the Company’s 401(k) plan (the "Retirement Savings Plan"). The Retirement Savings Plan provides for the investment of employer and employee contributions in various investment alternatives including the Company’s common stock, at the employee’s direction. The Company contributes an amount equal to 50% of employee contributions up to 6% of eligible compensation. The Company expenses all contributions made to the Retirement Savings Plan. Effective January 1, 2013, the Retirement Savings Plan was amended to provide certain salaried employees hired on or after January 1, 2013 with an additional annual retirement contribution of 4% of eligible earnings. The Company recognized expense of $4,333, $4,088 and $3,660 in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. As of December 31, 2018, the Retirement Savings Plan held 1,075,692 shares of the Company’s common stock.

The Company has an Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”) under which eligible employees may elect to have up to the lesser of $25 or 10% of base compensation deducted from their payroll checks for the purchase of the Company’s common stock at 95% of the average market value on the date of purchase. The maximum number of shares which may be purchased under the ESPP is 4,550,000. The number of shares purchased under the ESPP was 8,006, 7,734 and 11,804 in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The Company received cash proceeds from the purchase of these shares of $457, $444 and $427 in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. As of December 31, 2018, 269,665 additional shares may be purchased.

The 1991 Barnes Group Stock Incentive Plan (the “1991 Plan”) authorized the granting of incentives to executive officers, directors and key employees in the form of stock options, stock appreciation rights, incentive stock rights and performance unit awards. On May 9, 2014, the 1991 Plan was merged into the 2014 Plan (defined below).

The Barnes Group Inc. Employee Stock and Ownership Program (the “2000 Plan”) was approved on April 12, 2000, and subsequently amended on April 10, 2002 by the Company’s stockholders. The 2000 Plan permitted the granting of incentive stock options, nonqualified stock options, restricted stock awards, performance share or cash unit awards and stock appreciation rights, or any combination of the foregoing, to eligible employees to purchase up to 6,900,000 shares of the Company’s common stock. Such shares were authorized and reserved. On May 9, 2014, the 2000 Plan was merged into the 2014 Plan (defined below).

The Barnes Group Stock and Incentive Award Plan (the “2004 Plan”) was approved on April 14, 2004, and subsequently amended on April 20, 2006 and May 7, 2010 by the Company’s stockholders. The 2004 Plan permits the issuance of incentive awards, stock option grants and stock appreciation rights to eligible participants to purchase up to 5,700,000 shares of common stock. On May 9, 2014, the 2004 Plan was merged into the 2014 Plan (defined below), and the remaining shares available for future grants under the 2004 Plan, as of the merger date, were made available under the 2014 Plan.

The 2014 Barnes Group Stock and Incentive Award Plan (the “2014 Plan”) was approved on May 9, 2014 by the Company's stockholders. The 2014 Plan permits the issuance of incentive awards, stock option grants and stock appreciation rights to eligible participants to purchase up to 6,913,978 shares of common stock. The amount includes shares available for purchase under the 1991, 2000, and 2004 Plans which were merged into the 2014 Plan. The 2014 Plan allows for stock options and stock appreciation rights to be issued at a ratio of 1:1 and other types of incentive awards at a ratio of 2.84:1 from the shares available for future grants. As of December 31, 2018, there were 4,600,596 shares available for future grants under the 2014 Plan, inclusive of Shares Reacquired and shares made available through 2018 forfeitures. As of December 31, 2018, there were 1,281,844 shares of common stock outstanding to be issued upon the exercise of stock options and the vesting of Rights.

Rights under the 2014 Plan entitle the holder to receive, without payment, one share of the Company’s common stock after the expiration of the vesting period. Certain of these Rights are also subject to the satisfaction of established performance goals. Additionally, holders of certain Rights are credited with dividend equivalents, which are converted into additional Rights, and holders of certain restricted stock units are paid dividend equivalents in cash when dividends are paid to other stockholders. All Rights have a vesting period of up to five years.

Under the Non-Employee Director Deferred Stock Plan, as amended, each non-employee director who joined the Board of Directors prior to December 15, 2005 was granted the right to receive 12,000 shares of the Company’s common stock upon retirement. In 2018, 2017 and 2016, $22, $20 and $21, respectively, of dividend equivalents were paid in cash related to these shares. Compensation cost related to this plan was $8, $9 and $28 in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. There are 36,000 shares reserved for issuance under this plan. Each non-employee director who joined the Board of Directors subsequent to December 15, 2005 received restricted stock units under the respective 2004 or 2014 Plans.

Total maximum shares reserved for issuance under all stock plans aggregated 6,188,105 at December 31, 2018.