Document And Entity Information - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Document And Entity Information - USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2017	Dec. 12, 2017	Apr. 30, 2017
Document Information [Line Items]
Entity Registrant Name	OPTICAL CABLE CORP
Entity Central Index Key	0001000230
Trading Symbol	occ
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--10-31
Entity Filer Category	Smaller Reporting Company
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	No
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding (in shares)		7,305,988
Entity Public Float			$ 13,802,066
Document Type	10-K
Document Period End Date	Oct. 31, 2017
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2017
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Amendment Flag	false

Consolidated Balance Sheets - USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016
Current assets:
Cash	$ 891,169	$ 1,879,064
Trade accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $87,446 in 2017 and $74,266 in 2016	8,940,540	8,916,245
Other receivables	72,098	70,828
Inventories	16,781,449	15,023,966
Prepaid expenses	418,122	431,780
Total current assets	27,103,378	26,321,883
Property and equipment, net	12,210,692	13,399,158
Intangible assets, net	624,264	575,010
Other assets, net	200,846	369,737
Total assets	40,139,180	40,665,788
Current liabilities:
Current installments of long-term debt	250,726	294,214
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	2,590,252	2,636,420
Accrued compensation and payroll taxes	1,340,749	1,179,872
Income taxes payable	15,150	15,603
Total current liabilities	4,196,877	4,126,109
Note payable to bank	5,700,000	5,000,000
Long-term debt, excluding current installments	6,419,607	6,651,780
Other noncurrent liabilities	133,174	122,910
Total liabilities	16,449,658	15,900,799
Shareholders’ equity:
Preferred stock, no par value, authorized 1,000,000 shares; none issued and outstanding	0	0
Common stock, no par value, authorized 50,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding 7,315,605 shares in 2017 and 7,081,159 shares in 2016	11,762,021	11,080,595
Retained earnings	11,927,501	13,684,394
Total shareholders’ equity	23,689,522	24,764,989
Commitments and contingencies
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	$ 40,139,180	$ 40,665,788

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parentheticals) - USD ($) $ / shares in Thousands	Oct. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016
Allowance for doubtful accounts	$ 87,446	$ 74,266
Preferred stock, authorized (in shares)	1,000,000	1,000,000
Preferred stock, issued (in shares)	0	0
Preferred stock, outstanding (in shares)	0	0
Preferred stock, no par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0	$ 0
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0	$ 0
Common stock, shares authorized (in shares)	50,000,000	50,000,000
Common stock, shares issued (in shares)	7,315,605	7,081,159
Common stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	7,315,605	7,081,159

Consolidated Statements of Operations - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Consolidated Statements of Operations - USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016	Oct. 31, 2015
Net sales	$ 64,092,848	$ 64,616,001	$ 73,568,738
Cost of goods sold	43,294,921	44,890,865	51,772,851
Gross profit	20,797,927	19,725,136	21,795,887
Selling, general and administrative expenses	21,968,757	20,760,735	24,042,554
Royalty expense, net	120,478	164,463	124,271
Amortization of intangible assets	25,704	16,903	10,860
Loss from operations	(1,317,012)	(1,216,965)	(2,381,798)
Other expense, net:
Interest expense	(523,035)	(620,810)	(439,921)
Other, net	95,838	42,680	6,656
Other expense, net	(427,197)	(578,130)	(433,265)
Loss before income taxes	(1,744,209)	(1,795,095)	(2,815,063)
Income tax expense (benefit)	(5,438)	5,899	1,482,382
Net loss	(1,738,771)	(1,800,994)	(4,297,445)
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest		(22,172)	(41,780)
Net loss attributable to Optical Cable Corporation	$ (1,738,771)	$ (1,778,822)	$ (4,255,665)
Net loss attributable to Optical Cable Corporation per share - basic and diluted (in dollars per share)	$ (0.27)	$ (0.28)	$ (0.69)
Dividends declared per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0.08

Consolidated Statement of Shareholders' Equity - USD ($)	Common Stock [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Parent [Member]	Noncontrolling Interest [Member]	Total
Balances (in shares) at Oct. 31, 2014	6,839,778
Balances at Oct. 31, 2014	$ 9,543,686	$ 21,462,881	$ 31,006,567	$ (700,277)	$ 30,306,290
Share-based compensation, net (in shares)	(300,406)
Share-based compensation, net	$ 818,807		818,807		818,807
Repurchase and retirement of common stock (at cost) (in shares)	(80,636)
Repurchase and retirement of common stock (at cost)		(379,675)	(379,675)		(379,675)
Common stock dividends declared, $0.08 per share		(559,946)	(559,946)		(559,946)
Excess tax benefits from share-based compensation	$ 519		519		519
Net loss		(4,255,665)	(4,255,665)	(41,780)	(4,297,445)
Share-based compensation, net (in shares)	300,406
Stock Repurchased and Retired During Period, Shares	80,636
Balances (in shares) at Oct. 31, 2015	7,059,548
Balances at Oct. 31, 2015	$ 10,363,012	16,267,595	26,630,607	(742,057)	25,888,550
Share-based compensation, net (in shares)	(35,836)
Share-based compensation, net	$ 717,583		717,583		717,583
Repurchase and retirement of common stock (at cost) (in shares)	14,225
Repurchase and retirement of common stock (at cost)		(40,150)	(40,150)		(40,150)
Net loss		(1,778,822)	(1,778,822)	(22,172)	(1,800,994)
Share-based compensation, net (in shares)	35,836
Stock Repurchased and Retired During Period, Shares	(14,225)
Purchase of noncontrolling interest in consolidated subsidiary		(764,229)	(764,229)	764,229
Balances (in shares) at Oct. 31, 2016	7,081,159
Balances at Oct. 31, 2016	$ 11,080,595	13,684,394	24,764,989		24,764,989
Share-based compensation, net (in shares)	(240,147)
Share-based compensation, net	$ 681,426		681,426		$ 681,426
Repurchase and retirement of common stock (at cost) (in shares)	5,701				(5,701)
Repurchase and retirement of common stock (at cost)		(18,122)	(18,122)		$ (18,122)
Net loss		(1,738,771)	(1,738,771)		$ (1,738,771)
Share-based compensation, net (in shares)	240,147
Stock Repurchased and Retired During Period, Shares	(5,701)				5,701
Balances (in shares) at Oct. 31, 2017	7,315,605
Balances at Oct. 31, 2017	$ 11,762,021	$ 11,927,501	$ 23,689,522		$ 23,689,522

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016	Oct. 31, 2015
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net loss	$ (1,738,771)	$ (1,800,994)	$ (4,297,445)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	1,675,519	2,054,977	2,076,486
Bad debt expense (recovery)	21,569	11,254	(16,889)
Deferred income tax expense			2,228,124
Share-based compensation expense	787,100	800,520	1,078,563
Impact of excess tax benefits from share-based compensation			(519)
(Gain) loss on sale of property and equipment	103,145	(15,171)	12,059
(Increase) decrease in:
Trade accounts receivable	(45,864)	261,999	4,903,740
Other receivables	(1,270)	63,600	45,707
Income taxes refundable		360,324	(360,324)
Inventories	(1,757,483)	2,792,114	(297,961)
Prepaid expenses	13,658	132,244	14,819
Other assets, net			16,341
Increase (decrease) in:
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	(78,129)	(997,163)	(1,698,165)
Accrued compensation and payroll taxes	160,877	(42,856)	(1,672,372)
Income taxes payable	(453)	(6,895)	(675,034)
Other noncurrent liabilities	173,031	(458,473)	(154,782)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(687,071)	3,155,480	1,202,348
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchase of and deposits for the purchase of property and equipment	(508,909)	(635,153)	(3,148,964)
Investment in intangible assets	(74,958)	(68,248)	(95,829)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment		27,118	500
Net cash used in investing activities	(583,867)	(676,283)	(3,244,293)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Payroll taxes remitted on share-based payments	(105,674)	(82,937)	(259,756)
Proceeds from note payable to bank	1,550,000	6,000,000	4,000,000
Principal payments on long-term debt and note payable to bank	(1,125,661)	(7,281,013)	(770,012)
Payments for financing costs	(17,500)	(137,794)
Repurchase of common stock	(18,122)	(40,150)	(379,675)
Impact of excess tax benefits from share-based compensation			519
Common stock dividends paid		(141,311)	(555,566)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	283,043	(1,683,205)	2,035,510
Net increase (decrease) in cash	(987,895)	795,992	(6,435)
Cash at beginning of year	1,879,064	1,083,072	1,089,507
Cash at end of year	891,169	1,879,064	1,083,072
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Cash payments for interest	452,918	568,631	427,024
Income taxes paid (refunded), net	15,613	(352,564)	434,206
Noncash investing and financing activities:
Capital expenditures accrued in accounts payable at year end	45,901	42,785	384,818
Common stock dividends declared and included in accounts payable and accrued expenses at year end			$ 141,311

Note 1 - Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2017

Notes to Financial Statements

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure [Text Block]

(

)

Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

(a)

Description of Business

Optical Cable Corporation and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company” or “OCC

”) is a leading manufacturer of a broad range of fiber optic and copper data communication cabling and connectivity solutions primarily for the enterprise market and various harsh environment and specialty markets (the non-carrier markets), offering integrated suites of high quality products which operate as a system solution or seamlessly integrate with other providers’ offerings. The Company’s product offerings include designs for uses ranging from enterprise network, datacenter, residential and campus installations to customized products for specialty applications and harsh environments, including military, industrial, mining, petrochemical and broadcast applications, and for the wireless carrier market.

Founded in

1983,

OCC is headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia with offices, manufacturing and warehouse facilities located in Roanoke, Virginia; near Asheville, North Carolina; and near Dallas, Texas.

The Company

’s cabling and connectivity products are used for high bandwidth transmission of data, video and audio communications. The Company’s product offering includes products well-suited for use in various other short- to moderate-distance applications as well. The Company’s products are sold worldwide. Also see note

10.

(b)

Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Optical Cable Corporation and its wholly owned and majority-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

(c)

Cash and Cash Equivalents

All of the Company

’s bank accounts are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). As of

October

31,

2017

and

2016,

the Company had bank deposits in excess of the insured limit totaling

$458,000

and

$1.1

million, respectively.

For purposes of the consolidated statements of cash flows, the Company considers all highly liquid debt instruments with original maturities of

three

months or less to be cash equivalents. As of

October 31,

201

and

2016,

the Company had

cash equivalents.

(d)

Trade Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

Trade accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount and do

not

typically bear interest. The allowance for doubtful accounts is the Company

’s best estimate of the amount of probable credit losses in the Company’s existing accounts receivable. The Company reviews outstanding trade accounts receivable at the end of each quarter and records allowances for doubtful accounts as deemed appropriate for (i) certain individual customers and (ii) for all other trade accounts receivable in total. In determining the amount of allowance for doubtful accounts to be recorded for individual customers, the Company considers the age of the receivable, the financial stability of the customer, discussions that

may

have occurred with the customer and management’s judgment as to the overall collectibility of the receivable from that customer. In addition, the Company establishes an allowance for all other receivables for which

specific allowances are deemed necessary. This portion of the allowance for doubtful accounts is based on a percentage of total trade accounts receivable with different percentages used based on different age categories of receivables. The percentages used are based on the Company’s historical experience and management’s current judgment regarding the state of the economy and the industry. Account balances are charged off against the allowance after all means of collection have been exhausted and the potential for recovery is considered remote. Trade accounts receivable is also shown net of an allowance for sales returns. The allowance for sales returns is determined based on historical trends, identified returns and the potential for additional returns. The Company does

not

have any off-balance-sheet credit exposure related to its customers.

(e)

Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market, or net realizable value. The determination of cost includes raw materials, direct labor and manufacturing overhead. The cost of optical fibers, included in raw materials, is determined using specific identification for optical fibers. The cost of other raw materials and production supplies is generally determined using the

first

-in,

first

-out basis. The cost of work in process and finished goods inventories is determined either as average cost or standard cost, depending upon the product type. A standard cost system is used to estimate the actual costs of inventory for certain product types. Actual costs and production cost levels

may

vary from the standards established and such variances are charged to cost of goods sold or capitalized to inventory. Also see note

(f)

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization are provided for using both straight-line and declining balance methods over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Estimated useful lives are

thirty

thirty-nine

years for buildings and

three

seven

years for building improvements, machinery and equipment and furniture and fixtures. Also see note

(g)

Patents and Trademarks

The Company records legal fees associated with patent and trademark applications as intangible assets. Such intangible assets are

not

amortized until such time that the patent and/or trademark is granted. The Company estimates the useful life of patents and trademarks based on the period over which the intangible asset is expected to contribute directly or indirectly to future cash flows. If patents and/or trademarks are

not

granted, the capitalized legal fees are expensed during the period in which such notification is received. If the Company decides to abandon a patent or trademark application, the capitalized legal fees are expensed during the period in which the Company

’s decision is made.

(h)

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes revenue when products are shipped or delivered to the customer and the customer takes ownership and assumes risk of loss (based on shipping terms), collection of the relevant receivable is probable, persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists and sales price is fixed or determinable. Customers generally do

not

have the right of return unless a product is defective or damaged and is within the parameters of the product warranty in effect for the sale.

The Company recognizes royalty income (if any), net of related expenses, on an accrual basis and estimates royalty income earned based on historical experience.

(i)

Shipping and Handling Costs

Shipping and handling costs include the costs incurred to physically move finished goods from the Company

’s warehouse to the customers’ designated location. All amounts billed to a customer in a sales transaction related to shipping and handling are classified as sales revenue. Shipping and handling costs of approximately

$1.9

million,

$1.8

million and

$2.0

million are included in selling, general and administrative expenses for the fiscal years ended

October

31,

2017,

2016

and

2015,

respectively.

(j)

Research and Development

Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Research and development costs totaled approximately

$1.3

million for each of the fiscal years ended

October 31, 2017,

2016

and

2015,

respectively, and are included in selling, general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations.

(k)

Advertising

Advertising costs are expensed as incurred. Advertising costs totaled approximately

$313,000,

$237,000

and

$451,000

for the fiscal years ended

October 31, 2017,

2016

and

2015,

respectively, and are included in selling, general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations.

(l)

Income Taxes

Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and operating loss, capital loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date.

The Company recognizes the effect of income tax positions only if those positions are more likely than

not

of being sustained. Recognized income tax positions are measured at the largest amount that is greater than

50%

likely of being realized. Changes in recognition or measurement are reflected in the period in which the change in judgment occurs. The Company records interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as a component of income tax expense. Also see note

12.

(m)

Long-Lived Assets

Long-lived assets, such as property and equipment and intangible assets, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset

may

not

be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to future net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If the carrying amount of an asset exceeds its estimated future cash flows, an impairment charge is recognized in the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the fair value of the asset. When applicable, assets to be disposed of are reported separately in the consolidated balance sheet at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell, and are

longer depreciated.

(n)

Stock Incentive Plans and Other Share-Based Compensation

The Company recognizes the cost of employee services received in exchange for awards of equity instruments based upon the grant-date fair value of those awards. Also see note

(o)

Net Income (Loss) Per Share

Basic net income (loss) per share excludes dilution and is computed by dividing net income (loss) available to common shareholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the period. In the case of basic net income per share, the calculation includes common shares outstanding issued as share-based compensation and still subject to vesting requirements. In the case of basic net loss per share, the calculation excludes common shares outstanding issued as share-based compensation and still subject to vesting requirements, as these shares are considered dilutive.

Diluted net income (loss) per share also is calculated by dividing net income (loss) available to common shareholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the period, and reflects the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised or converted into common stock or resulted in the issuance of common stock that then shared in the net income (loss) of the Company. The diluted net income (loss) per share calculation includes all common shares outstanding issued as share-based compensation and still subject to vesting requirements in the calculation of diluted net income, but

not

in the calculation of diluted net loss. Also see note

14.

(p)

Commitments and Contingencies

Liabilities for loss contingencies arising from product warranties and defects, claims, assessments, litigation, fines and penalties and other sources are recorded when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the assessment can be reasonably estimated.

(q)

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Note 4 - Property and Equipment, Net

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2017

Notes to Financial Statements

Property, Plant and Equipment Disclosure [Text Block]

(

)

Property and Equipment, Net

Property and equip

ment, net as of

October

31,

2017

and

2016

consists of the following:

	October 31,
	2017			2016
Land and land improvements	$	3,148,834		$	3,144,068
Building and improvements		8,165,637			8,140,933
Machinery and equipment		25,817,318			25,769,804
Furniture and fixtures		894,237			903,067
Construction in progress		1,727,591			1,588,815
Total property and equipment, at cost		39,753,617			39,546,687
Less accumulated amortization and depreciation		(27,542,925	)		(26,147,529	)
Property and equipment, net	$	12,210,692		$	13,399,158

Note 6 - Product Warranties

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2017

Notes to Financial Statements

Product Warranty Disclosure [Text Block]

(

)

Product Warranties

The Company generally warrants its products against certain manufacturing and other defects in material and workmanship. These product warranties are provided for specific periods of time and are applicable assuming the product has

not

been subjected to misuse, improper installation, negligent handling or shipping damage. As of

October 31,

201

and

2016,

the Company’s accrual for estimated product warranty claims totaled

$180,000

and

$70,000,

respectively, and is included in accounts payable and accrued expenses. Warranty claims expense includes the costs to investigate claims and potential claims, and the costs to replace and/or repair product pursuant to claims, which can include claims

not

deemed valid by the Company. The accrued product warranty costs are based primarily on historical experience of actual warranty claims and costs as well as current information with respect to potential warranty claims and costs. Warranty claims expense for the years ended

October 31, 2017,

2016

and

2015

totaled

$281,523,

$70,691

and

$234,784,

respectively.

The following table summarizes the changes in the Company

’s accrual for product warranties during the fiscal years ended

October 31, 2017

and

2016:

	Years ended October 31,
	2017			2016
Balance at beginning of year	$	70,000		$	130,000
Liabilities accrued for warranties issued during the year		238,093			124,018
Warranty claims paid during the period		(171,523	)		(130,691	)
Changes in liability for pre-existing warranties during the year		43,430			(53,327	)
Balance at end of year	$	180,000		$	70,000

Note 7 - Long-term Debt and Note Payable to Bank

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2017

Notes to Financial Statements

Long-term Debt [Text Block]

(

)

Long-term Debt and Note Payable to Bank

The Company has credit facilities consisting of a real estate term loan, as amended and restated (the “Virginia Real Estate Loan”), a supplemental real estate term loan, as amended and restated (the “North Carolina Real Estate Loan”) and a revolving credit note.

December 21, 2016,

the Company entered into a Loan Modification Agreement (the “Agreement”) with

Pinnacle Financial Partners, as successor to Bank of North Carolina, (“Pinnacle”) to modify the Credit Agreement dated

April 26, 2016

entered into between the Company and Pinnacle, the Revolving Credit Note dated

April 26, 2016

payable by the Company to Pinnacle and the term loans dated

April 26, 2016

payable by the Company to Pinnacle.

The Agreement with

Pinnacle lowered the interest rate of the Virginia Real Estate Loan and the North Carolina Real Estate Loan to a fixed rate of

3.75%

effective

January 1, 2017

and resulted in lower monthly installment payments.

April 27, 2017,

the Company entered into a Third Loan Modification Agreement with

Pinnacle to modify the Credit Agreement dated

April 26, 2016

entered into between the Company and Pinnacle and the term loans dated

April 26, 2016.

The Third Loan Modification Agreement revised the interest rates of the term loans and the applicable repayment installments and extended the maturity date. The fixed interest rate of each of the

two

term loans was revised to

3.95%

from

3.75%,

and the maturity date of the term loans was extended to

May 1, 2024.

All other terms of the term loans remain unaltered and remain in full force and effect.

The real estate loans continue to be

secured by a

first

priority lien on all of the Company’s personal property and assets, all money, goods, machinery, equipment, fixtures, inventory, accounts, chattel paper, letter of credit rights, deposit accounts, commercial tort claims, documents, instruments, investment property and general intangibles now owned or hereafter acquired by the Company and wherever located, as well as a

first

lien deed of trust on the Company’s real property.

Long-term debt as of

October 31,

201

and

2016

consists of the following:

	October 31,
	2017		2016
Virginia Real Estate Loan ($6.5 million original principal) payable in monthly installments of $31,812, including interest (at 3.95%), with final payment of $3,644,211 due May 1, 2024	$	4,960,738	$	5,165,785
North Carolina Real Estate Loan ($2.24 million original principal) payable in monthly installments of $10,963, including interest (at 3.95%), with final payment of $1,255,850 due May 1, 2024		1,709,595		1,780,209
Total long-term debt		6,670,333		6,945,994
Less current installments		250,726		294,214
Long-term debt, excluding current installments	$	6,419,607	$	6,651,780

The Revolving Credit Note (“Revolver”) with

Pinnacle provides the Company with a

$7.0

million revolving line of credit (“Revolving Loan”) for the working capital needs of the Company. Under the Agreement and Revolver, Pinnacle provides the Company with

one

or more revolving loans in a collective maximum principal amount of

$7.0

million. The Company

may

borrow, repay, and reborrow at any time or from time to time while the Revolving Loan is in effect.

The Agreement with

Pinnacle resulted in the lowering of the applicable margin in the Revolving Credit Note and established a floor on the interest rate for the Revolving Credit Note such that the rate will never be less than

2.50%

per annum. The Revolving Loan accrues interest at LIBOR plus

2.50%

(resulting in a

3.73%

rate at

October 31, 2017).

The Revolving Loan is payable in monthly payments of interest only with principal and any outstanding interest due and payable at maturity.

February 28, 2017,

the Company entered into a Second Loan Modification Agreement (the “Modification Agreement”) extending the maturity date of the Revolver to

March 31, 2019,

and removing certain previously existing provisions of the Revolving Loan that required reductions in availability originally contemplated to occur on

February 28, 2017

and

2018.

As a result, the collective maximum principal amount of the Revolving Loan will remain at

$7.0

million. All other terms of the Revolving Loan remain unaltered and remain in full force and effect. Within the revolving loan limit of the Revolving Loan and the Modification Agreement, the Company

may

borrow, repay, and reborrow, at any time or from time to time until

March 31, 2019.

The Revolving Loan

continues to be secured by a perfected

first

lien security interest on all assets, including but

not

limited to, accounts, as-extracted collateral, chattel paper, commodity accounts, commodity contracts, deposit accounts, documents, equipment, fixtures, furniture, general intangibles, goods, instruments, inventory, investment property, letter of credit rights, payment intangibles, promissory notes, software and general tangible and intangible assets owned now or later acquired. The Revolving Loan is also cross-collateralized with the Company’s real property.

As of

October 31,

201

the Company had

$5.7

million of outstanding borrowings on its Revolving Loan and

$1.3

million in available credit. As of

October 31, 2016

the Company had

$5.0

million of outstanding borrowings on its Commercial Loan (predecessor to the Revolving Loan with Pinnacle) and

$2.0

million in available credit.

The aggregate maturities of long-term debt for each of the

five

years subsequent to

October 31, 2017

are:

$250,726

in fiscal year

2018,

$5,960,953

in fiscal year

2019,

$271,598

in fiscal year

2020,

$282,678

in fiscal year

2021

and

$294,208

in fiscal year

2022.

Note 8 - Leases

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2017

Notes to Financial Statements

Leases of Lessee Disclosure [Text Block]

(

)

Leases

The Company has an operating lease agreement for approximately

34,000

square feet of office, manufacturing and warehouse space in Plano, Texas (near Dallas). The

lease term runs through

November 30, 2019.

The minimum rent payments, including rent holidays, are recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease.

Centric Solutions entered into an operating lease agreement in

August 2008

for approximately

23,000

square feet of office and manufacturing space in Coppell, Texas, with a term of approximately

seven

years. On

November 30, 2015

Centric Solutions

’ operating lease expired and was

not

renewed.

The Company entered into an operating lease agreement in

April 2015

for approximately

36,000

square feet of warehouse space in Roanoke, Virginia. The lease term is for

twelve

months and terminated on

April 30, 2016,

but the Company exercised the

first

and

second

of its

four

(

)

one

year options to renew the lease and anticipates it will exercise the remaining

two

(

)

one

year options. The rent payments are recognized on a straight-line basis over the extended term of the lease.

The Company

’s future minimum lease payments under noncancelable operating leases (with initial or remaining lease terms in excess of

one

year) as of

October 31, 2017

consist of the following:

Fiscal year	Operating Lease
2018		318,629
2019		327,106
2020		72,041
Total	$	717,776

Total rent expense associated with the operating leases for the fiscal years ended

October 31,

201

2016

and

2015

was

$403,178,

$391,116

and

$479,937,

respectively.

Note 9 - Employee Benefits

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2017

Notes to Financial Statements

Compensation and Employee Benefit Plans [Text Block]

(

)

Employee Benefits

Health Insurance Coverage

The Company contracts for health insurance coverage for employees and their dependents through

third

-party administrators. During the years ended

October

31,

2017,

2016

and

2015,

total expense of

$3,360,633,

$3,042,441

and

$3,665,320,

respectively, was incurred under the Company’s insured health care program.

401

(k) Plan

The Company maintains a

401

(k) retirement savings plan for the benefit of its eligible employees.

Substantially all of the Company’s employees who meet certain service and age requirements are eligible to participate in the plan. The Company’s plan document provides that the Company’s matching contributions are discretionary. The Company made or accrued matching contributions to the plan of

$52,524,

$29,396

and

$145,181

for the years ended

October

31,

2017,

2016

and

2015,

respectively.

Stock Incentives for Key Employees and Non-Employee Directors

Optical Cable Corporation uses stock incentives to increase the personal financial interest that key employees and non-employee Directors have in the future success of the Company, thereby aligning their interests with those of other shareholders and strengthening their desire to remain with the Company.

March

201

the Company’s shareholders approved the Optical Cable Corporation

2017

Stock Incentive Plan (the

“2017

Plan”) that was recommended for approval by the Company’s Board of Directors. The

2017

Plan reserves

500,000

new common shares of the Company for issuance under the

2017

Plan and succeeds and replaces the Optical Cable Corporation Second Amended and Restated

2011

Stock Incentive Plan (the

“2011

Plan”). As of

October 31, 2017,

there were approximately

584,000

remaining shares available for grant under the

2017

Plan.

Share-based compensation expense for employees, a consultant and non-employee members of the Company

’s Board of Directors recognized in the consolidated statements of operations for the years ended

October 31, 2017,

2016

and

2015

was

$787,100,

$800,520

and

$1,078,563,

respectively.

Restricted and Other Stock Awards

The Company has granted, and anticipates granting, from time to time, restricted stock awards to employees, subject to approval by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors.

The restricted stock awards granted under the

2017

Plan vest over time if certain operational performance-based criteria are met. Failure to meet the criteria required for vesting will result in a portion or all of the shares being forfeited.

The Company recognizes expense on service-based shares each quarter based on the actual number of shares vested during the quarter multiplied by the closing price of the Company

’s shares of common stock on the date of grant. The Company recognizes expense on operational performance-based shares each quarter using an estimate of the shares expected to vest multiplied by the closing price of the Company’s shares of common stock on the date of grant.

The Company recorded compensation expense related to its restricted stock awards granted to employees and a consultant totaling

$734,016,

$599,450

and

$948,190

during the fiscal years ended

October 31, 2017,

2016

and

2015,

respectively.

A summary of the status of the Company

’s nonvested shares granted to employees under the

2017

Plan as of

October 31, 2017,

and changes during the year ended

October 31, 2017,

is as follows:

Nonvested shares	Shares			Weighted- average grant date fair value
Balance at October 31, 2016		667,048		$	3.89
Granted		391,211			3.41
Vested		(108,467	)		3.85
Forfeited		(112,834	)		3.63
Balance at October 31, 2017		836,958		$	3.66

As of

October 31,

201

the estimated amount of compensation cost related to nonvested equity-based compensation awards in the form of service-based and operational performance-based shares that the Company will recognize over a

2.9

year weighted-average period is approximately

$2.3

million.

During the fiscal year

ended

October 31, 2017,

stock awards to non-employee Directors under the

2017

Plan totaling

31,380

shares were approved by the Board of Directors of the Company. During the fiscal years ended

October 31, 2016

and

2015,

stock awards to non-employee Directors under the

2011

Plan totaling

86,296

shares and

33,515

shares, respectively, were approved by the Board of Directors of the Company. The shares are part of the non-employee Directors’ annual compensation for service on the Board of Directors. The shares granted under the

2017

Plan are subject to a

one

-year vesting period. The shares granted under the

2011

Plan vested immediately upon grant, but could

not

be sold, transferred, pledged, or otherwise encumbered or disposed of until

six

months after the date of the grant. The Company recorded compensation expense equal to the number of shares multiplied by the closing price of the Company’s shares of common stock on the date of grant. The Company recorded compensation expense totaling

$53,084,

$201,070

and

$130,373

during the years ended

October 31, 2017,

2016

and

2015,

respectively.

Note 10 - Business and Credit Concentrations, Major Customers and Geographic Information

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2017

Notes to Financial Statements

Concentration Risk Disclosure [Text Block]

(

)

Business and Credit Concentrations, Major Customers and Geographic Information

The Company provides credit, in the normal course of business, to various commercial enterprises, governmental entities and

not

-for-profit organizations. Concentration of credit risk with respect to trade receivables is limited due to the Company’s large number of customers. The Company also manages exposure to credit risk through credit approvals, credit limits and monitoring procedures. Management believes that credit risks as of

October

31,

2017

and

2016

have been adequately provided for in the consolidated financial statements.

For the year ended

October 31, 2017,

16.4%,

or approximately

$10.5

million of consolidated net sales were attributable to

one

customer.

other customer accounted for more than

10%

of consolidated net sales for the year ended

October 31, 2017.

As of

October 31, 2017,

the same customer had an outstanding balance payable to the Company totaling

8.9%

of total consolidated shareholders

’ equity.

other customer had an outstanding balance payable to the Company in excess of

of total consolidated shareholders’ equity.

For the year ended

October 31, 2016,

15.1%,

or approximately

$9.7

million of consolidated net sales were attributable to

one

customer.

other customer accounted for more than

10%

of consolidated net sales for the year ended

October 31, 2016.

As of

October 31, 2016,

the same customer had an outstanding balance payable to the Company totaling

8.6%

of total consolidated shareholders

’ equity.

other customer had an outstanding balance payable to the Company in excess of

of total consolidated shareholders’ equity.

For the year ended

October 31, 2015,

13.6%

and

10.8%,

or approximately

$10.0

million and

$8.0

million, of consolidated net sales were attributable to

two

customers.

other customer accounted for more than

10%

of consolidated net sales for the year ended

October 31, 2015.

As of

October 31, 2015,

single customer had an outstanding balance payable to the Company in excess of

of total consolidated shareholders

’ equity.

For the years ended

October 31,

201

2016

and

2015,

approximately

80%,

80%

and

78%,

respectively, of net sales were from customers in the United States, while approximately

20%,

20%

and

22%,

respectively, were from customers outside of the United States.

Net sales attributable to the United States and all other countries in total for the years ended

October 31,

201

2016

and

2015

were as follows:

	Years ended October 31,
	2017		2016		2015
United States	$	51,558,474	$	51,379,528	$	57,402,020
Outside the United States		12,534,374		13,236,473		16,166,718
Total net sales	$	64,092,848	$	64,616,001	$	73,568,738

individual country outside of the United States accounted for more than

10%

of total net sales in fiscal years

201

2016

2015.

The Company has a single reportable segment for purposes of segment reporting.

Note 11 - Non-controlling Interest

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2017

Notes to Financial Statements

Noncontrolling Interest Disclosure [Text Block]

(

)

Non-controlling Interest

August 1, 2008,

OCC acquired

70%

of the authorized membership interests of Centric Solutions LLC (“Centric Solutions”), a limited liability company focused on sales of turnkey cabling and connectivity solutions for the datacenter market. OCC consolidated Centric Solutions for financial reporting purposes and a non-controlling interest was recorded for the other members

’ interests in the net assets and operations of Centric Solutions to the extent of the non-controlling members’ investment.

Effective

February 1, 2016,

OCC purchased, for a nominal amount, the membership interest in Centric Solutions of

one

of the non-controlling members, and Centric Solutions purchased, for a nominal amount, and retired the membership units of the remaining non-controlling member. As a result, Centric Solutions became a wholly owned subsidiary of OCC. OCC continues to consolidate Centric Solutions for financial reporting purposes, however, beginning

February 1, 2016,

the Company

longer records a non-controlling interest in its consolidated financial statements.

Note 12 - Income Taxes

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2017

Notes to Financial Statements

Income Tax Disclosure [Text Block]

(

)

Income Taxes

Income tax expense (benefit) for the years ended

October

31,

2017,

2016

and

2015

consists of:

Fiscal year ended October 31, 2017	Current			Deferred		Total
U.S. Federal	$	—		$	—	$	—
State		(5,438	)		—		(5,438	)
Totals	$	(5,438	)	$	—	$	(5,438	)

Fiscal year ended October 31, 2016	Current			Deferred		Total
U.S. Federal	$	35,118		$	—	$	35,118
State		(29,219	)		—		(29,219	)
Totals	$	5,899		$	—	$	5,899

Fiscal year ended October 31, 2015	Current			Deferred		Total
U.S. Federal	$	(624,825	)	$	2,098,615	$	1,473,790
State		(120,917	)		129,509		8,592
Totals	$	(745,742	)	$	2,228,124	$	1,482,382

Reported income tax expense for the years ended

October

31,

2017,

2016

and

2015

differs from the “expected” tax expense (benefit), computed by applying the U.S. Federal statutory income tax rate of

34%

to income before income taxes as follows:

	Years ended October 31,
	2017			2016			2015
“Expected” tax benefit	$	(593,031	)	$	(610,332	)	$	(957,121	)
Increase (reduction) in income tax benefit resulting from:
State income taxes, net of federal benefit		(29,422	)		(79,386	)		(78,880	)
Loss of permanent deductions due to NOL carryback		—			—			35,636
Other differences, net		54,686			50,627			67,491
Change in valulation allowance		562,329			644,990			2,415,256
Reported income tax expense (benefit)	$	(5,438	)	$	5,899		$	1,482,382

The tax effects of temporary differences that give rise to significant portions of the Company

’s deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities as of

October

31,

2017

and

2016

are presented below:

	October 31,
	2017			2016
Deferred tax assets:
Accounts receivable, due to allowances for doubtful accounts and sales returns	$	71,085		$	87,472
Inventories, due to allowance for damaged and slow-moving inventories and additional costs inventoried for tax purposes pursuant to the Tax Reform Act of 1986		1,088,631			999,468
Liabilities recorded for accrued expenses, deductible for tax purposes when paid		114,713			67,758
Share-based compensation expense		265,027			134,653
Investment in Centric Solutions		—			6,984
Net operating loss carryforwards		2,099,195			1,958,734
Other		118,119			110,773
Total gross deferred tax assets		3,756,770			3,365,842
Valuation allowance		(3,622,575	)		(3,060,246	)
Net deferred tax assets		134,195			305,596
Deferred tax liabilities:
Plant and equipment, due to differences in depreciation and capital gain recognition		(130,626	)		(301,590	)
Other receivables, due to accrual for financial reporting purposes		(3,569	)		(4,006	)
Total gross deferred tax liabilities		(134,195	)		(305,596	)
Net deferred tax asset	$	—		$	—

As a result of the acquisition of AOS, the Company recorded certain deferred tax assets totaling

$1,517,605

(after purchase accounting adjustments), related to gross net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards of

$4,455,525,

estimated to be available after considering Internal Revenue Code Section

382

limitations. As of

October 31,

201

$1,680,000

of these gross NOL carryforwards remain unused and

may

be used to reduce future taxable income. These remaining gross NOL carryforwards begin to expire in fiscal year ending

October 31, 2028.

Additionally,

the Company has federal and state gross NOL carryforwards of

$4,203,483

and

$1,462,204,

respectively; all of which originated beginning with fiscal year

2015,

and will

not

begin to expire until fiscal year

2030.

For the years ended

October 31,

201

and

2016,

the Company considered all positive and negative evidence available to assess whether it is “more likely than

not”

that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will

not

be realized. For each year, the Company concluded that in accordance with the provisions of Accounting Standards Codification

740,

Income Taxes

, the negative evidence outweighed the objectively verifiable positive evidence. As a result, the Company established a valuation allowance of

$3,622,575

and

$3,060,246,

respectively, against net deferred tax assets existing as of

October 31, 2017

and

2016.

The Company estimates a liability for uncertain tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The liability for uncertain tax positions is included in other noncurrent liabilities on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

A reconciliation of the unrecognized ta

benefits for fiscal years

2017

and

2016

follows:

	October 31,
	2017			2016
Unrecognized tax benefits balance at beginning of year	$	78,322		$	79,322
Gross decreases for tax positions of prior years		(12,773	)		(1,000	)
Unrecognized tax benefits balance at end of year	$	65,549		$	78,322

During fiscal year

201

the Company reduced accrued interest and penalties by

$4,633

and

$3,194,

respectively, related to unrecognized tax benefits. During fiscal year

2016,

the Company accrued interest of

$6,284

and reduced accrued penalties by

$250,

respectively, related to unrecognized tax benefits. As of

October 31, 2017

and

2016,

the Company had approximately

$36,761

and

$44,587,

respectively, of accrued interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions. The total amount of unrecognized tax benefits that would affect the Company’s effective tax rate if recognized is

$36,336

and

$43,191

as of

October 31, 2017

and

2016,

respectively. The Company does

not

expect its unrecognized tax benefits to change significantly in the next

months.

The Company files income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and in various state jurisdictions. The statute of limitations remains open for U.S. and certain state income tax examinations for years ended

October 31,

201

through

October 31, 2016.

Note 13 - Fair Value Measurements

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2017

Notes to Financial Statements

Fair Value Disclosures [Text Block]

(

)

Fair Value Measurements

The carrying amounts reported in the consolidated balance sheets for cash, trade accounts receivable, other receivables, and accounts payable and accrued expenses, including accrued compensation and payroll taxes approximate fair value because of the short maturity of these instruments. The carrying values of the Company

’s note payable to bank and long-term debt approximate fair value based on similar long-term debt issues available to the Company as of

October 31, 2017

and

2016.

Fair value is defined as the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.

The Company uses a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs for valuation methods used to measure fair value. The

three

levels of the fair value hierarchy are as follows:

●

Level

inputs are quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company has the ability to access at the measurement date.

●

Level

inputs are inputs other than quoted prices included within Level

that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly.

●

Level

inputs are unobservable inputs for the asset or liability.

The Company utilizes the best available information in measuring fair value.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments as well as disclosures related to the fair value of non-financial assets and liabilities. Such disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities would include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate); (2) for items for which it is not practicable to estimate fair value, disclosure would include: (a) information pertinent to estimating fair value (including, carrying amount, effective interest rate, and maturity, and (b) the reasons why it is not practicable to estimate fair value; (3) significant concentrations of credit risk including: (a) information about the activity, region, or economic characteristics identifying a concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss the entity is exposed to based on the gross fair value of the related item, (c) policy for requiring collateral or other security and information as to accessing such collateral or security, and (d) the nature and brief description of such collateral or security; (4) quantitative information about market risks and how such risks are managed; (5) for items measured on both a recurring and nonrecurring basis information regarding the inputs used to develop the fair value measurement; and (6) for items presented in the financial statement for which fair value measurement is elected: (a) information necessary to understand the reasons for the election, (b) discussion of the effect of fair value changes on earnings, (c) a description of [similar groups] items for which the election is made and the relation thereof to the balance sheet, the aggregate carrying value of items included in the balance sheet that are not eligible for the election; (7) all other required (as defined) and desired information.

+ References + Details

Note 15 - Shareholders' Equity

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2017

Notes to Financial Statements

Stockholders' Equity Note Disclosure [Text Block]

(

)

Shareholders’ Equity

Share Repurchases

The Company, through plans approved by its Board of Directors and other programs, has repurchased and retired certain of its outstanding common stock. The following is a summary of the Company

’s repurchase of shares and the costs associated with the repurchases, including brokerage and legal fees, for the periods presented.

Fiscal years ended October 31,	Shares repurchased		Cost
2017		5,701	$	18,122
2016		14,225		40,150
2015		80,636		379,675

After the Company

’s purchase and retirement of the shares of its common stock as set forth in the table above, the Company had

7,315,605

shares of its common stock issued and outstanding at

October 31, 2017.

The Company has a plan (the “Repurchase Plan”), approved by its Board of Directors on

July 14, 2015,

to purchase and retire up to

400,000

shares of the Company

’s common stock, or approximately

6.0%

of the shares then outstanding. The Company anticipates that the purchases will be made over a

- to

-month period, but there is

definite time period for repurchase. As of

October 31, 2017,

the Company had

398,400

shares of its outstanding common stock remaining to purchase under the Repurchase Plan.

The Company has repurchased outstanding common stock outside of the Repurchase Plan directly from certain shareholders and through an odd lot repurchase offer. During fiscal year

201

OCC repurchased and retired a total of

5,701

shares for

$18,122,

outside of the Repurchase Plan.

Stockholder Protection Rights Agreement

October 28, 2011,

the Board of Directors of the Company adopted a Stockholder Protection Rights Agreement (the “Rights Agreement”) and declared a dividend of

one

preferred share purchase right (a “Right”) for each outstanding share of Common Stock,

par value, of the Company (“Common Shares”), held of record at the close of business on

November 2, 2011,

or issued thereafter and prior to the Separation Time as defined in the Rights Agreement. Under the terms of the Rights Agreement, if a person or group who is deemed an Acquiring Person as defined in the Rights Agreement acquires

15%

(or other applicable percentage, as provided in the Rights Agreement) or more of the outstanding common stock, each Right will entitle its holder (other than such person or members of such group) to purchase, at the Right

’s then current exercise price, a number of shares of common stock having a market value of twice such price. In addition, if the Company is acquired in a merger or other business transaction after a person or group who is deemed an Acquiring Person has acquired such percentage of the outstanding common stock, each Right will entitle its holder (other than such person or members of such group) to purchase, at the Right’s then current exercise price, a number of the acquiring company’s common shares having a market value of twice such price.

Upon the occurrence of certain events, each Right will entitle its holder to purchase from the Company

one one

-thousandth of a Series A Participating Preferred Share (“Preferred Share”),

par value, at an exercise price of

$25,

subject to adjustment. Each Preferred Share will entitle its holder to

1,000

votes and will have an aggregate dividend rate of

1,000

times the amount, if any, paid to holders of common stock. The Rights will expire on

November

2021,

unless the Rights are earlier redeemed or exchanged by the Company for

$0.0001

per Right. The adoption of the Rights Agreement has

impact on the financial position or results of operations of the Company.

The Company has reserved

100,000

shares of its authorized preferred stock for issuance upon exercise of the Rights.

Dividends

The Company initiated a quarterly cash dividend of

$0.01

per share on its common stock in

October 2010.

January 2012,

the quarterly cash dividend was increased to

$0.015

per share and in

December 2012,

the quarterly cash dividend was increased to

$0.02

per share. In

January 2016,

the quarterly cash dividend was suspended.

Note 16 - Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2017

Notes to Financial Statements

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block]

(

)

Contingencies

May 31, 2016,

G. Thomas Hazelton, Jr. was terminated by Applied Optical Systems, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of OCC (“

AOS”) for Cause as defined both in his employment agreement dated

October 31, 2009 (

the “Employment Agreement”) and also in the Stock Purchase Agreement dated

October 31, 2009 (

“SPA”) by and among OCC, as buyer, and G. Thomas Hazelton, Jr. (“Hazelton”) and Daniel Roehrs (“Roehrs”), as sellers.

OCC acquired AOS from Hazelton and Roehrs pursuant to the terms of the SPA. In addition to its claims under the Employment Agreement, OCC also has asserted claims of indemnification against Hazelton under the SPA related to alleged unlawful actions by Hazelton and Roehrs.

As a result, OCC ha

not

paid Hazelton any severance compensation and did

not

pay Hazelton any of the minimum earn out amount (a maximum amount of

$470,665

payable on

January 31, 2017

under the terms of the SPA) that otherwise would have been owed to Hazelton, but for Hazelton’s termination for Cause and OCC’s indemnification claims under the SPA. The Company began accruing this minimum earn out amount immediately following the acquisition in

October 2009.

As a result of this dispute, OCC and AOS filed suit against Hazelton on

September 9, 2016

in state court in Roanoke City, Virginia.

Hazelton filed suit against OCC and AOS on

September 7, 2016

in state court in Collin County, Texas (collectively the “Hazelton Litigation”).

May 2017,

a settlement agreement was reached in the Hazelton Litigation, with the Company

’s obligations being less than the amount previously accrued for the minimum earn out amount under the SPA. As a result, the lawsuits filed in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the state of Texas in fiscal year

2016

were dismissed with prejudice.

Additionally, OCC, AOS, and Centric Solutions LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of OCC (“Centric Solutions”) filed suit against Roehrs, William DiBella (“DiBella”) (a former employee of Centric Solutions), and Rosenberger CDS, LLC and Rosenberger North America (together, “Rosenberger”) on

September 20, 2016

in state court in Roanoke County, Virginia, in connection with related alleged unlawful actions by Roehrs, DiBella and Rosenberger.

February 10, 2017,

the judge in state court in Roanoke County, Virginia ruled that the Virginia court lacked personal jurisdiction over Rosenberger and dismissed the claims against Rosenberger without prejudice.

May 2017,

the Company reached a settlement with DiBella, with

monetary impact for the Company. As a result, the Company

’s claims against DiBella were dismissed with prejudice in the lawsuit filed in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The Company

’s claims against Roehrs are still pending.

From time to time, the Company is involved in other various claims, legal actions and regulatory reviews arising in the ordinary course of business. In the opinion of management, the ultimate disposition of these matters will

not

have a material adverse effect on the Company

’s financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

Note 17 - New Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2017

Notes to Financial Statements

Description of New Accounting Pronouncements Not yet Adopted [Text Block]

(

)

New Accounting Standards

Not

Yet Adopted

May 2014,

the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update

2014

09,

Revenue from Contracts with Customers

(“ASU

2014

09”

). ASU

2014

is a comprehensive new revenue recognition model that expands disclosure requirements and requires an entity to recognize revenue when promised goods or services are transferred to a customer at an amount that reflects the consideration it expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. In

August 2015,

the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update

2015

14,

Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic

606

): Deferral of the Effective Date

(“ASU

2015

14”

) which defers the effective date of the new revenue recognition standard by

one

year. Under ASU

2015

14,

the new revenue recognition standard is effective for the Company beginning in fiscal year

2019.

The FASB has also issued ASU

2016

08,

ASU

2016

10,

ASU

2016

11,

ASU

2016

12,

and ASU

2016

all of which clarify certain implementation guidance within ASU

2014

09.

The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact of the adoption of this guidance, but does

not

anticipate that the adoption will significantly change the timing or amount of revenue recognized. Therefore, the Company believes the adoption will be limited to expanded disclosures with

material impact on its results of operations, financial position and liquidity.

July 2015,

the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update

2015

11,

Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory

(“ASU

2015

11”

). ASU

2015

changes the inventory valuation method from lower of cost or market to lower of cost and net realizable value for inventory valued using

first

-in,

first

-out or average cost. Net realizable value is the estimated selling prices in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal, and transportation. ASU

2015

is effective for fiscal years beginning after

December 15, 2016,

including interim periods within those fiscal years, and should be applied prospectively with early adoption permitted. The adoption of ASU

2015

not

expected to have any impact on the Company’s results of operations, financial position or liquidity or its related financial statement disclosures.

February 2016,

the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update

2016

02,

Leases

(“ASU

2016

02”

). ASU

2016

requires the recognition of a separate lease liability representing the required lease payments over the lease term and a separate lease asset representing the right to use the underlying asset during the same lease term. Additionally, this ASU provides clarification regarding the identification of certain components of contracts that would represent a lease as well as requires additional disclosures to the notes to the financial statements. ASU

2016

is effective for fiscal years beginning after

December 15, 2018,

including interim periods within that reporting period with early adoption permitted. The Company’s most significant leasing activity under long-term leases is the leasing of certain facilities. Total commitments under leases with expected duration of more than

months at

October 31, 2017

were

$717,776.

The Company is in the process of compiling an inventory of all leases that fall under the requirements of ASU

2016

02,

but does

not

expect the new guidance to have a material impact on its results of operations, financial position and liquidity and its related financial statement disclosures.

March 2016,

the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update

2016

09,

Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic

718

): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting

(“ASU

2016

09”

). ASU

2016

simplifies several aspects related to the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the accounting for income taxes, forfeitures, statutory tax withholding requirements and classification on the statement of cash flows. ASU

2016

is effective for fiscal years beginning after

December 15, 2016,

including interim periods within that reporting period, with early adoption permitted. The adoption of ASU

2016

not

expected to have a material impact on the Company’s results of operations, financial position or liquidity or its related financial statement disclosures.

August 2016,

the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update

2016

15,

Statement of Cash Flows (Topic

230

): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments

(“ASU

2016

15”

). ASU

2016

provides guidance related to the classification of certain cash receipts and cash payments on the statement of cash flows. The pronouncement provides clarification guidance on

eight

specific cash flow presentation issues that have developed due to diversity in practice. ASU

2016

is effective for fiscal years beginning after

December 15, 2017,

including interim periods within that reporting period, with early adoption permitted. The adoption of ASU

2016

not

expected to have a material impact on the Company's results of operations, financial position or liquidity or its related financial statement disclosures.

October 2016,

the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update

2016

16,

Income Taxes (Topic

740

): Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory

(“ASU

2016

16”

). ASU

2016

requires an entity to recognize the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset (with the exception of inventory) when the transfer occurs. Under current GAAP, entities are prohibited from recognizing current and deferred income taxes for an intra-entity transfer until the asset is sold to a

third

party. Examples of assets that would be affected by the new guidance are intellectual property and property, plant and equipment. ASU

2016

is effective for fiscal years beginning after

December 15, 2017,

including interim periods within that reporting period, with early adoption permitted. The Company generally does

not

transfer significant assets between entities and, as such, the adoption of ASU

2016

not

expected to have a material impact on the Company's results of operations, financial position or liquidity or its related financial statement disclosures.

There are

other new accounting standards issued, but

not

yet adopted by the Company, which are expected to materially impact the Company

’s financial position, operating results or financial statement disclosures.

Note 18 - Quarterly Results of Operations (Unaudited)

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2017

Notes to Financial Statements

Quarterly Financial Information [Text Block]

(

)

Quarterly Results of Operations (Unaudited)

The following is a summary of the unaudited quarterly results of operations for

the years ended

October

31,

2017

and

2016:

	Quarter ended
Fiscal year ended October 31, 2017	January 31			April 30			July 31			October 31
Net sales	$	14,606,252		$	15,847,473		$	16,432,243		$	17,206,880
Gross profit		4,810,399			5,663,039			5,305,787			5,018,702
Selling, general & administrative expenses		5,192,648			5,898,502			5,426,018			5,451,589
Loss before income taxes		(636,367	)		(231,270	)		(281,065	)		(595,507	)
Net loss attributable to
Optical Cable Corporation		(615,767	)		(239,082	)		(295,160	)		(588,762	)
Basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to Optical Cable Corporation	$	(0.09	)	$	(0.04	)	$	(0.05	)	$	(0.09	)

	Quarter ended
Fiscal year ended October 31, 2016	January 31			April 30			July 31		October 31
Net sales	$	14,047,890		$	16,340,153		$	16,915,135	$	17,312,823
Gross profit		3,502,431			4,551,295			5,461,691		6,209,719
Selling, general & administrative expenses		5,087,481			5,351,577			5,074,839		5,246,838
Loss before income taxes		(1,743,321	)		(992,653	)		181,003		759,876
Net loss attributable to
Optical Cable Corporation		(1,745,021	)		(983,122	)		188,163		761,158
Basic and diluted net income (loss) per share attributable to Optical Cable Corporation	$	(0.28	)	$	(0.15	)	$	0.03	$	0.11

Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2017

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Consolidation, Policy [Policy Text Block]

(b)

Principles of Consolidation

Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block]

(c)

Cash and Cash Equivalents

All of the Company

’s bank accounts are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). As of

October

31,

2017

and

2016,

the Company had bank deposits in excess of the insured limit totaling

$458,000

and

$1.1

million, respectively.

For purposes of the consolidated statements of cash flows, the Company considers all highly liquid debt instruments with original maturities of

three

months or less to be cash equivalents. As of

October 31,

201

and

2016,

the Company had

cash equivalents.

Receivables, Trade and Other Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Doubtful Accounts, Policy [Policy Text Block]

(d)

Trade Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

Trade accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount and do

not

typically bear interest. The allowance for doubtful accounts is the Company

may

not

have any off-balance-sheet credit exposure related to its customers.

Inventory, Policy [Policy Text Block]

(e)

Inventories

first

-in,

first

may

vary from the standards established and such variances are charged to cost of goods sold or capitalized to inventory. Also see note

Property, Plant and Equipment, Policy [Policy Text Block]

(f)

Property and Equipment

thirty

thirty-nine

years for buildings and

three

seven

years for building improvements, machinery and equipment and furniture and fixtures. Also see note

Patents and Trademarks [Policy Text Block]

(g) Patents and Trademarks

The Company records legal fees associated with patent and trademark applications as intangible assets. Such intangible assets are

not

’s decision is made.

Revenue Recognition, Policy [Policy Text Block]

(h)

Revenue Recognition

not

have the right of return unless a product is defective or damaged and is within the parameters of the product warranty in effect for the sale.

The Company recognizes royalty income (if any), net of related expenses, on an accrual basis and estimates royalty income earned based on historical experience.

Shipping and Handling Cost, Policy [Policy Text Block]

(i)

Shipping and Handling Costs

Shipping and handling costs include the costs incurred to physically move finished goods from the Company

$1.9

million,

$1.8

million and

$2.0

million are included in selling, general and administrative expenses for the fiscal years ended

October

31,

2017,

2016

and

2015,

respectively.

Research and Development Expense, Policy [Policy Text Block]

(j)

Research and Development

Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Research and development costs totaled approximately

$1.3

million for each of the fiscal years ended

October 31, 2017,

2016

and

2015,

respectively, and are included in selling, general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations.

Advertising Costs, Policy [Policy Text Block]

(k)

Advertising

Advertising costs are expensed as incurred. Advertising costs totaled approximately

$313,000,

$237,000

and

$451,000

for the fiscal years ended

October 31, 2017,

2016

and

2015,

respectively, and are included in selling, general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations.

Income Tax, Policy [Policy Text Block]

(l)

Income Taxes

The Company recognizes the effect of income tax positions only if those positions are more likely than

not

of being sustained. Recognized income tax positions are measured at the largest amount that is greater than

50%

12.

Long-Lived and Intangible Assets [Policy Text Block]

(m)

Long-Lived Assets

Long-lived assets, such as property and equipment and intangible assets, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset

may

not

longer depreciated.

Share-based Compensation, Option and Incentive Plans Policy [Policy Text Block]

(n)

Stock Incentive Plans and Other Share-Based Compensation

The Company recognizes the cost of employee services received in exchange for awards of equity instruments based upon the grant-date fair value of those awards. Also see note

Earnings Per Share, Policy [Policy Text Block]

(o)

Net Income (Loss) Per Share

not

in the calculation of diluted net loss. Also see note

14.

Commitments and Contingencies, Policy [Policy Text Block]

(p)

Commitments and Contingencies

Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]

(q) Use of Estimates

Note 3 - Inventories (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2017

Notes Tables

Schedule of Inventory, Current [Table Text Block]

	October 31,
	2017		2016
Finished goods	$	5,869,269	$	4,657,779
Work in process		2,507,434		2,591,885
Raw materials		8,108,433		7,515,717
Production supplies		296,313		258,585
Total	$	16,781,449	$	15,023,966

Note 4 - Property and Equipment, Net (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2017

Notes Tables

Property, Plant and Equipment [Table Text Block]

	October 31,
	2017			2016
Land and land improvements	$	3,148,834		$	3,144,068
Building and improvements		8,165,637			8,140,933
Machinery and equipment		25,817,318			25,769,804
Furniture and fixtures		894,237			903,067
Construction in progress		1,727,591			1,588,815
Total property and equipment, at cost		39,753,617			39,546,687
Less accumulated amortization and depreciation		(27,542,925	)		(26,147,529	)
Property and equipment, net	$	12,210,692		$	13,399,158

Note 12 - Income Taxes (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2017

Notes Tables

Schedule of Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Table Text Block]

Fiscal year ended October 31, 2017	Current			Deferred		Total
U.S. Federal	$	—		$	—	$	—
State		(5,438	)		—		(5,438	)
Totals	$	(5,438	)	$	—	$	(5,438	)

Fiscal year ended October 31, 2016	Current			Deferred		Total
U.S. Federal	$	35,118		$	—	$	35,118
State		(29,219	)		—		(29,219	)
Totals	$	5,899		$	—	$	5,899

Fiscal year ended October 31, 2015	Current			Deferred		Total
U.S. Federal	$	(624,825	)	$	2,098,615	$	1,473,790
State		(120,917	)		129,509		8,592
Totals	$	(745,742	)	$	2,228,124	$	1,482,382

Schedule of Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation [Table Text Block]

	Years ended October 31,
	2017			2016			2015
“Expected” tax benefit	$	(593,031	)	$	(610,332	)	$	(957,121	)
Increase (reduction) in income tax benefit resulting from:
State income taxes, net of federal benefit		(29,422	)		(79,386	)		(78,880	)
Loss of permanent deductions due to NOL carryback		—			—			35,636
Other differences, net		54,686			50,627			67,491
Change in valulation allowance		562,329			644,990			2,415,256
Reported income tax expense (benefit)	$	(5,438	)	$	5,899		$	1,482,382

Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities [Table Text Block]

	October 31,
	2017			2016
Deferred tax assets:
Accounts receivable, due to allowances for doubtful accounts and sales returns	$	71,085		$	87,472
Inventories, due to allowance for damaged and slow-moving inventories and additional costs inventoried for tax purposes pursuant to the Tax Reform Act of 1986		1,088,631			999,468
Liabilities recorded for accrued expenses, deductible for tax purposes when paid		114,713			67,758
Share-based compensation expense		265,027			134,653
Investment in Centric Solutions		—			6,984
Net operating loss carryforwards		2,099,195			1,958,734
Other		118,119			110,773
Total gross deferred tax assets		3,756,770			3,365,842
Valuation allowance		(3,622,575	)		(3,060,246	)
Net deferred tax assets		134,195			305,596
Deferred tax liabilities:
Plant and equipment, due to differences in depreciation and capital gain recognition		(130,626	)		(301,590	)
Other receivables, due to accrual for financial reporting purposes		(3,569	)		(4,006	)
Total gross deferred tax liabilities		(134,195	)		(305,596	)
Net deferred tax asset	$	—		$	—

Schedule of Unrecognized Tax Benefits Roll Forward [Table Text Block]

	October 31,
	2017			2016
Unrecognized tax benefits balance at beginning of year	$	78,322		$	79,322
Gross decreases for tax positions of prior years		(12,773	)		(1,000	)
Unrecognized tax benefits balance at end of year	$	65,549		$	78,322

Note 18 - Quarterly Results of Operations (Unaudited) (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2017

Notes Tables

Quarterly Financial Information [Table Text Block]

	Quarter ended
Fiscal year ended October 31, 2017	January 31			April 30			July 31			October 31
Net sales	$	14,606,252		$	15,847,473		$	16,432,243		$	17,206,880
Gross profit		4,810,399			5,663,039			5,305,787			5,018,702
Selling, general & administrative expenses		5,192,648			5,898,502			5,426,018			5,451,589
Loss before income taxes		(636,367	)		(231,270	)		(281,065	)		(595,507	)
Net loss attributable to
Optical Cable Corporation		(615,767	)		(239,082	)		(295,160	)		(588,762	)
Basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to Optical Cable Corporation	$	(0.09	)	$	(0.04	)	$	(0.05	)	$	(0.09	)

	Quarter ended
Fiscal year ended October 31, 2016	January 31			April 30			July 31		October 31
Net sales	$	14,047,890		$	16,340,153		$	16,915,135	$	17,312,823
Gross profit		3,502,431			4,551,295			5,461,691		6,209,719
Selling, general & administrative expenses		5,087,481			5,351,577			5,074,839		5,246,838
Loss before income taxes		(1,743,321	)		(992,653	)		181,003		759,876
Net loss attributable to
Optical Cable Corporation		(1,745,021	)		(983,122	)		188,163		761,158
Basic and diluted net income (loss) per share attributable to Optical Cable Corporation	$	(0.28	)	$	(0.15	)	$	0.03	$	0.11

Note 1 - Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details Textual) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016	Oct. 31, 2015
Cash, Uninsured Amount	$ 458,000	$ 1,100,000
Cash Equivalents, at Carrying Value	0	0
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses [Member]
Shipping, Handling and Transportation Costs	1,900,000	1,800,000	$ 2,000,000
Research and Development Expense	1,300,000	1,300,000	1,300,000
Advertising Expense	$ 313,000	$ 237,000	$ 451,000
Building [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	30 years
Building [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	39 years
Building Improvements [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	3 years
Building Improvements [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	7 years

Note 2 - Allowance for Doubtful Accounts for Trade Accounts Receivable - Summary of Changes in the Allowance for Doubtful Accounts for Trade Accounts Receivable (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016	Oct. 31, 2015
Balance at beginning of year	$ 74,266	$ 63,011	$ 92,988
Bad debt expense (recovery)	21,569	11,254	(16,889)
Losses charged to allowance	(8,389)		(13,088)
Balance at end of year	$ 87,446	$ 74,266	$ 63,011

Note 3 - Inventories - Components of Inventories (Details) - USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016
Finished goods	$ 5,869,269	$ 4,657,779
Work in process	2,507,434	2,591,885
Raw materials	8,108,433	7,515,717
Production supplies	296,313	258,585
Total	$ 16,781,449	$ 15,023,966

Note 4 - Property and Equipment, Net - Schedule of Property and Equipment (Details) - USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016
Property and equipment, gross	$ 39,753,617	$ 39,546,687
Less accumulated amortization and depreciation	(27,542,925)	(26,147,529)
Property and equipment, net	12,210,692	13,399,158
Land [Member]
Property and equipment, gross	3,148,834	3,144,068
Building and Building Improvements [Member]
Property and equipment, gross	8,165,637	8,140,933
Machinery and Equipment [Member]
Property and equipment, gross	25,817,318	25,769,804
Furniture and Fixtures [Member]
Property and equipment, gross	894,237	903,067
Construction in Progress [Member]
Property and equipment, gross	$ 1,727,591	$ 1,588,815

Note 5 - Intangible Assets (Details Textual) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Note 5 - Intangible Assets (Details Textual) - USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016	Oct. 31, 2015
Amortization of Intangible Assets	$ 25,704	$ 16,903	$ 10,860
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Amortization Expense, Next Twelve Months	26,000
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Gross	487,289
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization	62,027
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Amortization Expense, Year Two	26,000
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Amortization Expense, Year Three	26,000
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Amortization Expense, Year Four	26,000
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Amortization Expense, Year Five	$ 26,000

Note 6 - Product Warranties (Details Textual) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Note 6 - Product Warranties (Details Textual) - USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016	Oct. 31, 2015
Standard and Extended Product Warranty Accrual	$ 180,000	$ 70,000	$ 130,000
Product Warranty Expense	281,523	70,691	$ 234,784
Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities [Member]
Standard and Extended Product Warranty Accrual	$ 180,000	$ 70,000

Note 6 - Product Warranties - Changes in Accrual for Product Warranties (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016
Balance at beginning of year	$ 70,000	$ 130,000
Liabilities accrued for warranties issued during the year	238,093	124,018
Warranty claims paid during the period	(171,523)	(130,691)
Changes in liability for pre-existing warranties during the year	43,430	(53,327)
Balance at end of year	$ 180,000	$ 70,000

Note 7 - Long-term Debt and Note Payable to Bank (Details Textual) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2017	Apr. 27, 2017	Apr. 26, 2017	Jan. 01, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016	Apr. 26, 2016
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Next Twelve Months	$ 250,726
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Two	5,960,953
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Three	271,598
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Four	282,678
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Five	294,208
Pinnacle Financial Partners [Member] \| Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity						$ 7,000,000
Long-term Line of Credit	5,700,000
Line of Credit Facility, Remaining Borrowing Capacity	$ 1,300,000
Pinnacle Financial Partners [Member] \| Revolving Credit Facility [Member] \| Base Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	2.50%
Pinnacle Financial Partners [Member] \| Revolving Credit Facility [Member] \| London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage	3.73%
Pinnacle Financial Partners [Member] \| Revolving Credit Facility [Member] \| London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage	2.50%
Virginia Real Estate Loan and North Carolina Real Estate Loan [Member] \| Pinnacle Financial Partners [Member]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage				3.75%
Virginia Real Estate Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	3.95%				3.95%
Virginia Real Estate Loan [Member] \| Pinnacle Financial Partners [Member]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		3.95%	3.75%
The Commercial Loan [Member] \| Pinnacle Financial Partners [Member] \| Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Long-term Line of Credit					$ 5,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Remaining Borrowing Capacity					$ 2,000,000

Note 7 - Long-term Debt and Note Payable to Bank - Long-term Debt (Details) - USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016
Long-term Loan	$ 6,670,333	$ 6,945,994
Less current installments	250,726	294,214
Long-term debt, excluding current installments	6,419,607	6,651,780
Virginia Real Estate Loan [Member]
Long-term Loan	4,960,738	5,165,785
North Carolina Real Estate Loan [Member]
Long-term Loan	$ 1,709,595	$ 1,780,209

Note 7 - Long-term Debt and Note Payable to Bank - Long-term Debt (Details) (Parentheticals) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016
Virginia Real Estate Loan [Member]
Original principal	$ 6,500,000	$ 6,500,000
Monthly installments	$ 31,812	$ 31,812
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	3.95%	3.95%
Final payment	$ 3,644,211	$ 3,644,211
Maturity date	May 01, 2024	May 01, 2024
North Carolina Real Estate Loan [Member]
Original principal	$ 2,240,000	$ 2,240,000
Monthly installments	$ 10,963	$ 10,963
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	3.95%	3.95%
Final payment	$ 1,255,850	$ 1,255,850
Maturity date	May 01, 2024	May 01, 2024

Note 8 - Leases (Details Textual)	1 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
Note 8 - Leases (Details Textual)	Apr. 30, 2015 ft²	Aug. 31, 2008 ft²	Oct. 31, 2017 USD ($) ft²	Oct. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Operating Leases, Rent Expense, Net \| $			$ 403,178	$ 391,116	$ 479,937
Operating Lease for Office, Manufacturing and Warehouse Space in Plano, Texas [Member]
Area of Real Estate Property			34,000
Operating Lease for Office and Manufacturing Space in Coppell, Texas [Member] \| Centric Solutions LLC [Member]
Area of Real Estate Property		23,000
Lessee, Operating Lease, Term of Contract		7 years
Operating Lease for Warehouse Space in Roanoke, Virginia [Member]
Area of Real Estate Property	36,000
Lessee, Operating Lease, Term of Contract	1 year
Lease Term, Extension, Term			1 year
Lease Term, Extension, Remaining Number			2

Note 8 - Leases - Future Minimum Lease Payments For Operating Leases (Details)	Oct. 31, 2017 USD ($)
2018	$ 318,629
2019	327,106
2020	72,041
Total	$ 717,776

Note 9 - Employee Benefits (Details Textual) - USD ($)	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Note 9 - Employee Benefits (Details Textual) - USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016	Oct. 31, 2015
Health Insurance Coverage Expense		$ 3,360,633	$ 3,042,441	$ 3,665,320
Defined Contribution Plan, Employer Discretionary Contribution Amount		52,524	29,396	145,181
Allocated Share-based Compensation Expense		787,100	800,520	1,078,563
Restricted Stock [Member]
Allocated Share-based Compensation Expense		$ 734,016	599,450	948,190
Services and Performance Based Shares [Member]
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized, Period for Recognition		2 years 328 days
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized		$ 2,300,000
The 2017 Stock Incentive Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Additional Shares Authorized	500,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Available for Grant		584,000
The 2017 Stock Incentive Plan [Member] \| Restricted Stock [Member]
Deferred Compensation Arrangement with Individual, Allocated Share-based Compensation Expense		$ 53,084
The 2017 Stock Incentive Plan [Member] \| Restricted Stock [Member] \| Non-employee Directors [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Gross		31,380
2015 Restated Incentive Plan [Member] \| Restricted Stock [Member]
Deferred Compensation Arrangement with Individual, Allocated Share-based Compensation Expense			$ 201,070	$ 130,373
2015 Restated Incentive Plan [Member] \| Restricted Stock [Member] \| Non-employee Directors [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Gross			86,296	33,515

Note 9 - Employee Benefits - Restricted Stock Activity (Details) - The 2017 Stock Incentive Plan [Member] - Restricted Stock [Member]	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2017 $ / shares shares
Balance (in shares) \| shares	667,048
Balance, weighted-average grant date fair value (in dollars per share) \| $ / shares	$ 3.89
Granted (in shares) \| shares	391,211
Granted, weighted-average grant date fair value (in dollars per share) \| $ / shares	$ 3.41
Vested (in shares) \| shares	(108,467)
Vested, weighted-average grant date fair value (in dollars per share) \| $ / shares	$ 3.85
Forfeited (in shares) \| shares	(112,834)
Forfeited, weighted-average grant date fair value (in dollars per share) \| $ / shares	$ 3.63
Balance (in shares) \| shares	836,958
Balance, weighted-average grant date fair value (in dollars per share) \| $ / shares	$ 3.66

Note 10 - Business and Credit Concentrations, Major Customers and Geographic Information (Details Textual)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Revenue, Net	$ 17,206,880	$ 16,432,243	$ 15,847,473	$ 14,606,252	$ 17,312,823	$ 16,915,135	$ 16,340,153	$ 14,047,890	$ 64,092,848	$ 64,616,001	$ 73,568,738
Number of Reportable Segments									1
UNITED STATES
Revenue, Net									$ 51,558,474	51,379,528	57,402,020
Non-US [Member]
Revenue, Net									12,534,374	13,236,473	16,166,718
Customer One [Member]
Revenue, Net									$ 10,500,000	$ 9,700,000	10,000,000
Customer Two [Member]
Revenue, Net											$ 8,000,000
Customer Concentration Risk [Member] \| Sales Revenue, Net [Member]
Concentration Risk, Number of Customers									1	1	2
Customer Concentration Risk [Member] \| Sales Revenue, Net [Member] \| Customer One [Member]
Concentration Risk, Percentage									16.40%	15.10%	13.60%
Customer Concentration Risk [Member] \| Sales Revenue, Net [Member] \| Customer Two [Member]
Concentration Risk, Percentage											10.80%
Customer Concentration Risk [Member] \| Stockholders' Equity, Total [Member] \| Customer One [Member]
Concentration Risk, Percentage									8.90%	8.60%
Geographic Concentration Risk [Member] \| Sales Revenue, Net [Member] \| UNITED STATES
Concentration Risk, Percentage									80.00%	80.00%	78.00%
Geographic Concentration Risk [Member] \| Sales Revenue, Net [Member] \| Non-US [Member]
Concentration Risk, Percentage									20.00%	20.00%	22.00%

Note 12 - Income Taxes (Details Textual) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Note 12 - Income Taxes (Details Textual) - USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016	Oct. 31, 2015	Oct. 31, 2009
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, at Federal Statutory Income Tax Rate, Percent	34.00%	34.00%	34.00%
Deferred Tax Assets, Gross	$ 3,756,770	$ 3,365,842
Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss Carryforwards	2,099,195	1,958,734
Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss Carryforwards, Domestic	4,203,483
Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss Carryforwards, State and Local	1,462,204
Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance	3,622,575	3,060,246
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Interest on Income Taxes Accrued	4,633	6,284
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties Accrued	3,194	250
Income Tax Examination, Penalties and Interest Accrued	36,761	44,587
Unrecognized Tax Benefits that Would Impact Effective Tax Rate	36,336	$ 43,191
AOS Acquisition [Member]
Deferred Tax Assets, Gross				$ 1,517,605
Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss Carryforwards	$ 1,680,000			$ 4,455,525

Note 12 - Income Taxes - Income Tax Expense (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016	Oct. 31, 2015
U.S. Federal, Current Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		$ 35,118	$ (624,825)
U.S. Federal, Deferred Income Tax Expense (Benefit)			2,098,615
U.S. Federal, Net Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		35,118	1,473,790
State, Current Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	(5,438)	(29,219)	(120,917)
State, Deferred Income Tax Expense (Benefit)			129,509
State, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	(5,438)	(29,219)	8,592
Total Current Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	(5,438)	5,899	(745,742)
Total Deferred Income Tax Expense (Benefit)			2,228,124
Total Net Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	$ (5,438)	$ 5,899	$ 1,482,382

Note 12 - Income Taxes - Effective Income Tax (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016	Oct. 31, 2015
“Expected” tax benefit	$ (593,031)	$ (610,332)	$ (957,121)
Increase (reduction) in income tax benefit resulting from:
State income taxes, net of federal benefit	(29,422)	(79,386)	(78,880)
Loss of permanent deductions due to NOL carryback			35,636
Other differences, net	54,686	50,627	67,491
Change in valulation allowance	562,329	644,990	2,415,256
Reported income tax expense (benefit)	$ (5,438)	$ 5,899	$ 1,482,382

Note 12 - Income Taxes - Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities (Details) - USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016
Deferred tax assets:
Accounts receivable, due to allowances for doubtful accounts and sales returns	$ 71,085	$ 87,472
Inventories, due to allowance for damaged and slow-moving inventories and additional costs inventoried for tax purposes pursuant to the Tax Reform Act of 1986	1,088,631	999,468
Liabilities recorded for accrued expenses, deductible for tax purposes when paid	114,713	67,758
Share-based compensation expense	265,027	134,653
Investment in Centric Solutions		6,984
Net operating loss carryforwards	2,099,195	1,958,734
Other	118,119	110,773
Total gross deferred tax assets	3,756,770	3,365,842
Valuation allowance	(3,622,575)	(3,060,246)
Net deferred tax assets	134,195	305,596
Deferred tax liabilities:
Plant and equipment, due to differences in depreciation and capital gain recognition	(130,626)	(301,590)
Other receivables, due to accrual for financial reporting purposes	(3,569)	(4,006)
Total gross deferred tax liabilities	(134,195)	(305,596)
Net deferred tax asset

Note 14 - Net Loss Per Share - Components of Reconciliation of Numerators and Denominators Net Loss Per Share (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2017	Jul. 31, 2017	Apr. 30, 2017	Jan. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016	Jul. 31, 2016	Apr. 30, 2016	Jan. 31, 2016	Oct. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016	Oct. 31, 2015
Net loss attributable to OCC (numerator)	$ (588,762)	$ (295,160)	$ (239,082)	$ (615,767)	$ 761,158	$ 188,163	$ (983,122)	$ (1,745,021)	$ (1,738,771)	$ (1,778,822)	$ (4,255,665)
Shares (denominator) (in shares)									6,546,862	6,443,162	6,201,478
Basic and diluted net loss per share (in dollars per share)	$ (0.09)	$ (0.05)	$ (0.04)	$ (0.09)	$ 0.11	$ 0.03	$ (0.15)	$ (0.28)	$ (0.27)	$ (0.28)	$ (0.69)

Note 15 - Shareholders' Equity (Details Textual)		1 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
Note 15 - Shareholders' Equity (Details Textual)	Oct. 28, 2011 $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2012 $ / shares	Jan. 31, 2012 $ / shares	Oct. 31, 2010 $ / shares	Oct. 31, 2017 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Oct. 31, 2016 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Oct. 31, 2015 USD ($) $ / shares	Jul. 14, 2015 shares
Common Stock, Shares, Outstanding					7,315,605	7,081,159
Stock Repurchase Program, Number of Shares Authorized to be Repurchased								400,000
Purchase And Retire Percentage Of Shares In Common Stock Outstanding								6.00%
Stock Repurchase Program, Remaining Number of Shares Authorized to be Repurchased					398,400
Stock Repurchased and Retired During Period, Shares					5,701
Stock Repurchased and Retired During Period, Value \| $					$ 18,122	$ 40,150	$ 379,675
Common Stock Dividends, Rights Per Share	1
Minimum Percentage of Stock Owner in Stockholder Protection Rights Agreement	15.00%
Preferred Stock, Redemption Price Per Share \| $ / shares	$ 0.0001
Preferred Stock Dividends, Rights Per Share, No Par Value \| $ / shares	0
Preferred Stock, Exercise Price \| $ / shares	$ 25
Preferred Stock, Number of Votes	1,000
Preferred Stock, Dividend Rate, Percentage	1000.00%
Preferred Stock, Capital Shares Reserved for Future Issuance					100,000
Common Stock, Dividends, Per Share, Declared \| $ / shares		$ 0.02	$ 0.015	$ 0.01	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0.08
Common Stock, Shares, Issued					7,315,605	7,081,159
Minimum [Member]
Stock Repurchase Program, Period in Force					2 years
Maximum [Member]
Stock Repurchase Program, Period in Force					3 years

Note 18 - Quarterly Results of Operations (Unaudited) - Schedule of Quarterly Financial Information (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2017	Jul. 31, 2017	Apr. 30, 2017	Jan. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016	Jul. 31, 2016	Apr. 30, 2016	Jan. 31, 2016	Oct. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016	Oct. 31, 2015
Net sales	$ 17,206,880	$ 16,432,243	$ 15,847,473	$ 14,606,252	$ 17,312,823	$ 16,915,135	$ 16,340,153	$ 14,047,890	$ 64,092,848	$ 64,616,001	$ 73,568,738
Gross profit	5,018,702	5,305,787	5,663,039	4,810,399	6,209,719	5,461,691	4,551,295	3,502,431	20,797,927	19,725,136	21,795,887
Selling, general and administrative expenses	5,451,589	5,426,018	5,898,502	5,192,648	5,246,838	5,074,839	5,351,577	5,087,481	21,968,757	20,760,735	24,042,554
Loss before income taxes	(595,507)	(281,065)	(231,270)	(636,367)	759,876	181,003	(992,653)	(1,743,321)	(1,744,209)	(1,795,095)	(2,815,063)
Net loss attributable to	$ (588,762)	$ (295,160)	$ (239,082)	$ (615,767)	$ 761,158	$ 188,163	$ (983,122)	$ (1,745,021)	$ (1,738,771)	$ (1,778,822)	$ (4,255,665)
Net loss attributable to Optical Cable Corporation per share - basic and diluted (in dollars per share)	$ (0.09)	$ (0.05)	$ (0.04)	$ (0.09)	$ 0.11	$ 0.03	$ (0.15)	$ (0.28)	$ (0.27)	$ (0.28)	$ (0.69)

Note 11 - Non-controlling Interest (Details Textual)	Aug. 01, 2008
Centric Solutions LLC [Member]
Business Acquisition, Percentage of Voting Interests Acquired	70.00%

Note 14 - Net Loss Per Share (Details Textual) - shares	12 Months Ended
Note 14 - Net Loss Per Share (Details Textual) - shares	Oct. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	743,865	646,887

Note 16 - Contingencies (Details Textual)	Jan. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Unlawful Actions by Hazelton and Roehrs Under the SPA [Member]
Minimum Earn-out Amount	$ 470,665

Consolidated Statement of Shareholders' Equity (Parentheticals)	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2015 $ / shares
Common Stock [Member]
Dividends declared per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.08
Dividends declared per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.08