Sting was an Elven knife that was probably made in Gondolin in the First Age. Its maker and original bearer are unknown, but it became the main weapon borne by Bilbo and Frodo Baggins.
During the Quest of Erebor, in May 2941,[1] Thorin and Company happened upon a trio of Trolls named Tom, Bert, and William who nearly ate them. Only the intervention of Gandalf saved the company from such a horrible fate.[1]
During the scuffle, William dropped the key to their Trolls' cave, which contained all manner of treasure plundered from the trolls' victims. Bilbo Baggins recovered the key, allowing the company to claim the treasure in its entirety, including several fine Elven blades. Glamdring went to Gandalf, while its mate Orcrist was claimed by Thorin Oakenshield. Bilbo, too, claimed a blade: merely a dagger by the standards of Men or its original Elvish makers, and but a tiny pocket-knife for the trolls whose hoard it was found in, but it made an excellent short sword for a Hobbit.