Is it ever at all possible to feel a pulse when touching a vein? or is this only specific to arteries? is there an artery near the small saphenous?

Venous pulsations: You can feel the arterial pulsations in veins. The small saphenous is used for bypass surgery because there is only the sural nerve in close proximity from the peroneal fossa. http://www.rjmatthewsmd.com/Definitions/venous_pulse.htm

You In Med School?: Veins don't pulsate except under extremely unusual circumstances, BUT...many veins lie right next to arteries, which do pulse so you may have thought it was a vein when really it was an artery pumping away. The small saphenous is pretty superficial (close to the skin surface) and I don't think an artery accompanies it..

Yes: Since most veins, which drain de-oxygenated blood from the tissues, run close to arteries, supplying oxygenated blood to the same areas, it is quite common to feel arterial pulse when pressing on a vein. Arteries close to small saphenous vein include posterior tibial on the lower part and poplitial in the upper part og leg.