Patent ID: 7104160

Claim:
A method of producing a cutting tool comprising: providing an unbonded assembly comprising a cylindrical core having ends and an elongate side surface covered partially or completely by a coherent, unsintered layer, the layer comprising ultra-hard abrasive particles for producing an ultra-hard abrasive material; subjecting the unbonded assembly to elevated temperature and pressure conditions at which the ultra-hard abrasive material is crystallographically stable; recovering the sintered product which comprises a cylindrical core and an ultra-hard abrasive material bonded to the core; and working the sintered product to produce one or more cutting edges in the ultra-hard abrasive material wherein the layer comprises components suitable to produce the same material as the core and includes one or more veins of ultra-hard abrasive particles for producing the ultra-hard abrasive material, and one or more cutting edges are produced by removing at least some of the core material from the sintered layer in the sintered product.