1.) Narsil is of Dwarvish make; it was forged by the semi-legendary Dwarven
master-smith Telchar, as Aragorn puts it, "in the depths of time." The
Dwarves even back then had a well-earned reputation as the finest craftsmen and
smiths; and Narsil was an exceptional sword.
2.) Glamdring, Orcrist, & Sting are Elvish blades from the First
Age. Swords made by the Elves back then glow blue when Orcs are close by;
more recent Elvish blades don't glow in this way. (In Middle-earth
there's been a slow and steady decline in such matters: Elves of the Elder Days
were more skilful than those of the Third Age.)
3.) The blades in the Barrow: The tomb probably belonged (Appendix A I
[iii]) to the last prince of Cardolan, one of the three principalities into
which the Northern Kingdom was split in the opening centuries of the Third
Age. The blades dated from the time of the wars against the Witch-king of
Angmar, and hence had "spells" written on them which were specifically directed
against the Witch-king. That is why Merry's blade had such potency
against the
Witch-king.
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The Fox soon realised that Frodo and Sam hadn't a clue as to how to survive in the wilderness; and had he not had some skill with hunting, the two Hobbits would never even have made to Ithilien.
