meirs Jul 21, 2010:

Raised lips I don't know if "lips" are correct in a box context - but this is my mental picture in English.

Mark Harvey (asker) Jul 21, 2010:

Your explanation confirms what I guessed when I saw the picture. But in fact, I had to give some detail, as the stock list offers other types of box too. I ended up calling it a "box with flush-fitting lid and slipcase", which I think is sufficiently clear. At least I didn't make a wild guess and call the thing a "shoulder-bag", as a previous translator had done!

Thank you for the considerable time you have evidently given to my question.

Gudrun Maydorn (X) Jul 18, 2010:

Halsschachtel Mark, from your comment to my reference I conclude that the meaning of Halsschachtel is still not clear to you. To quote from meirs's great link "Das Edle an der Schachtel ist, dass es außen keinen fühlbaren Unterschied zwischen Deckel und Schachtel gibt." This is where the Hals comes in. You have a box consisting of inner (higher) and outer (lower) walls. The box without lid therefore has a neck, i.e. the higher/narrower inside walls that protrude above the outer ones. When the lid is put on, it sits flush with the outer wall of the box.

But I am sure that for translation purposes "box with slipcase" will be quite okay. If there is no short and common Enghlish expression, then giving an overly detailed description of the box would probably be overkill. After all, your customer's main aim is not the sale of the box but of the product that is inside!

Roland Nienerza Jul 16, 2010:

great find .

meirs Jul 16, 2010:

Hals + Schachtel Instructions here:
http://www.perlentreff.de/index.php?cont=db&dbcont=faqdb&pag...

Roland Nienerza Jul 16, 2010:

never heard of such a word or Schachtel - and nothing is recorded of it in Google.

For all practical purposes it can hardly be anything else than a - admittedly curious - typo for "Holzschachtel".