The Hobbit: Bilbo’s Sword, Explained

With its simple leather sheath, the undersized Sting was often overlooked as a powerful artifact. It was nothing more than a dagger for the Elves or a pocket knife for the Trolls — but it turned out to be an apt weapon for a Hobbit. There is no description of Sting given in The Hobbit as such, and it is depicted in the film adaptations as a sort of leaf-shaped blade, with a spiral design and curving edges. In The Lord of the Rings, there are Sindarin letters engraved on its cross guard, which translate to: “Sting is my name; I am the spider’s bane.”