A coated abrasive article (1) comprises a backing (3) having an abrasive coating (5) on one side, an attachment layer (7) on the other side of the backing, and a line of weakness (9) that does not penetrate the front face of the abrasive coating (5). The line of weakness, which may be formed using a laser beam, comprises a through-cut (11) in the attachment layer (7) and perforations (13) in the backing (3), and permits one part of the abrasive article (1) to be separated from another part. Alternatively, the abrasive article can be used in its original form.