Tolkien's plans with respect to the MiddleEarth universe he created in both the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings weren't so easy to codify.
He is a hobbit of means; at least, no occupation is ever specified, so we are left with the impression of a 'gentlehobbit' that need not work for a living.
Coming together at Rivendell, our hobbit hero and his friends meet with representatives from many of the world's free races, to discuss and decide on the fate of the Ring.
Several important swords were discovered by heroes in The Hobbit, the briefer 'prequel' to The Lord of the Rings.
This was actually a long knife, but was proportionally 'sword-length' for a hobbit.