Abstract: A method of manufacturing hollow needles from round metal blanks in order to form a needle which has an inner front portion with a front end tapering to a point and a rear portion having a larger diameter than the front portion and forming a mounting shank, comprising forming a longitudinally extending needle guide to the needle such that the guide is open at the rear end of the mounting shank and tapers from a substantially uniform depth along a major portion of its length to a minimum depth adjacent the tip. The channel is of a shape to receive substantially cylindrical cross pins having an appended piece of filament which form a part of fasteners for tags, buttons and similar items to be attached to carrier materials such as textiles. The method is carried out by the use of a disc-shaped miller cutter which has U-shaped convex teeth for milling the central area of the channel in side tooth portions for milling shoulders on each side of the channel which are of lesser depth than the channel.