9-27-05 "My old sword, Sting! Here! Take it, take it!"

Sting was actually a long knife that made the perfect Hobbit-sized sword. Bilbo found it in 2941 in the Troll-hoard of Bert, Tom and William, where the swords Glamdring and Orcrist were also found. These three blades were made by the Elves in Gondolin in the First Age.
A special property of the blades was that they glowed with a blue light when Orcs were near. Bilbo used the faint light from the sword to make his way through the tunnels of the Misty Mountains after he was separated from his Dwarf companions. He encountered the creature Gollum and considered using the sword to kill him but decided to spare him out of pity.
Bilbo first used his sword to kill the Great Spiders in Mirkwood who captured him and his friends. It was then that he named the sword Sting.
When he returned home, Bilbo hung Sting over his mantlepiece. He took it with him when he left the Shire in 3001. On December 25, 3018, Bilbo gave the sword to Frodo Baggins, who was about to embark on his quest to destroy the One Ring.
Frodo first used the sword in Moria to stab the foot of a Cave-troll. When Gollum attacked Sam Gamgee in the Emyn Muil, Frodo drew Sting and put it to the creature's throat. But, like Bilbo, Frodo decided to spare Gollum's life.
In Shelob's Lair, Frodo drew Sting and the Phial of Galadriel and advanced on Shelob, causing her to retreat. He used the sword to cut through the spiderwebs blocking their escape, but Shelob caught up to Frodo and stung him. Sam took up Sting in his left hand and cut off one of Shelob's claws and he put out one of her eyes with his own sword. He slashed at her abdomen with Sting, and then, as the creature lowered her weight onto him, Sam held up Sting and it pierced her belly, wounding her terribly and possibly fatally.
Sam believed Frodo to be dead, and he took Sting from him along with the Ring intending to continue the quest alone. When he discovered his mistake, Sam rescued Frodo from the Tower of Cirith Ungol. The Orcs mistook Sam, armed with Sting, for a great Elf-warrior. Frodo then gave Sting to Sam to keep, saying, "I do not think it will be my part to strike any blow again." (RotK, p. 204)
When Sam jettisoned their baggage on the Plain of Gorgoroth he kept Sting, and the sword was saved from the destruction of Mordor by Gandalf. At the Field of Cormallen, Frodo was reluctant to wear any sword, and would have preferred to take the sword that had once belonged to Sam, but Sam insisted that Frodo wear Sting for the celebrations. It is likely that Frodo returned Sting to Sam, to whom he left all his possessions on leaving Middle-earth.

Sources:
The Hobbit:"Roast Mutton," p. 52-3; "A Short Rest," p. 62; "Riddles in the Dark," p. 80, 97; "Flies and Spiders," p. 166-76, "The Last Stage," p. 316
The Fellowship of the Ring: "The Ring Goes South," p. 290; "The Bridge of Khazad-dum," p. 339
The Two Towers: "The Taming of Smeagol," p. 221-22; "Shelob's Lair," 330-32; "The Choices of Master Samwise," p. 337-42
The Return of the King: "The Tower of Cirith Ungol," p. 189; "The Land of Shadow," p. 204; "Mount Doom," p. 215; "The Field of Cormallen," p. 233

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