A coated abrasive article (2, 102) having a y-axis corresponding to a longitudinal direction of the abrasive article, an x-axis transverse to the y-axis and corresponding to a lateral direction of the abrasive article which is perpendicular to the y-axis, and a z-axis orthogonal to the y-axis and x-axis such that the x-axis and y-axis define a plane that generally corresponds to a first major surface (6, 106) of the abrasive article (2, 102) and the z-axis extends outwardly from the plane in a direction away from the first major surface (6, 106), the abrasive article (2, 102) comprising a plurality of elongate abrasive particles (8, 108) having a generally triangular or star-shaped profile and possessing a length, wherein the length is the maximum caliper dimension of the particle, a width, wherein the width is the maximum caliper dimension of the particle perpendicular to the length, and a thickness, wherein the thickness is the caliper dimension of the particle perpendicular to the length and the width, and an elongate edge positioned on the first major surface (6, 106), wherein the width and the length are greater than the thickness, such that at least 80 percent of the plurality of elongate abrasive particles (8, 108) is positioned upright to be inclined at an angle of at least 45 degrees from the first major surface (6, 106) and comprises a rotational orientation of its elongate edge on the first major surface (6, 106) about the z-axis, wherein an average rotational orientation is the average of the rotational orientations of each of the upright elongate abrasive particles, characterized in that the rotational orientation of at least a portion of the abrasive particles (8, 108) about the z-axis varies randomly within a defined range such that: the rotational orientation of at least 80 percent of the abrasive particles (8, 108) is within +/- 45 degrees of the average rotational orientation, the rotational orientation of at least 40 percent and no greater than 80 percent of the abrasive particles (8, 108) is within +/- 30 degrees of the average rotational orientation, the rotational orientation of at least 30 percent and no greater than 70 percent of the abrasive particles (8, 108) is within +/- 20 degrees of the average rotational orientation, the rotational orientation of at least 15 percent and no greater than 40 percent of the abrasive particles (8, 108) is within +/- 10 degrees of the average rotational orientation, the rotational orientation of at least 10 percent and no greater than 25 percent of the abrasive particles is within +/- 5 degrees of the average rotational orientation, and wherein the spacing of the abrasive particles (8, 108) varies randomly along the y-axis. the rotational orientation of at least 80 percent of the abrasive particles (8, 108) is within +/- 45 degrees of the average rotational orientation, the rotational orientation of at least 40 percent and no greater than 80 percent of the abrasive particles (8, 108) is within +/- 30 degrees of the average rotational orientation, the rotational orientation of at least 30 percent and no greater than 70 percent of the abrasive particles (8, 108) is within +/- 20 degrees of the average rotational orientation, the rotational orientation of at least 15 percent and no greater than 40 percent of the abrasive particles (8, 108) is within +/- 10 degrees of the average rotational orientation, the rotational orientation of at least 10 percent and no greater than 25 percent of the abrasive particles is within +/- 5 degrees of the average rotational orientation, and wherein the spacing of the abrasive particles (8, 108) varies randomly along the y-axis.