What fictional metal is used for the blade Sting in J.R.R. Tolkien’s stories?

J.R.R. Tolkien’s stories do not identify Sting as being made from a named fictional metal.

Sting is a short sword found by Bilbo Baggins in a troll hoard during The Hobbit. It later becomes Frodo Baggins’s weapon and glows blue when Orcs or Goblins are near, a feature shared by the ancient Elvish blades Glamdring and Orcrist.

The text gives Sting a remarkable history and magical properties, but it does not state that the blade is made of mithril or another named fantasy metal. Mithril is instead associated with precious, exceptionally strong metal found in Middle-earth, especially in Moria.

This wording distinguishes the material from the sword’s origin. Sting was forged in Gondolin during the First Age, but Tolkien does not provide a specific metal name for its construction.