A 10th Nazgul?

If a Nazgul were to stab an enemy with a Morgul blade, the victim over time becomes a wraith, albeit weaker & under the command of the Nazgul. Why then did not the Nazgul carry this out on more enemies, e.g. Gollum? Gollum in the wraith form could have accompanied the Nazgul to hunt down the Ring. His instincts & knowledge of Hobbits could have helped them land the Ring much sooner.

Alternatively, Sauron may have ordered the Nazgul to only target the Ring Bearer with the Morgul Knife, since a wraith would not be easy to dispose of once created.

[The Squatter of Amon Rûdh]

As far as we know from LR, the Nazgûl only had one Morgul knife with them. Perhaps they were rare weapons, only to be used in unusual circumstances.

Gollum was already enslaved to the Ring, and Sauron could be fairly confident that following him would lead to its discovery sooner or later. It was easier to follow him in the hope that he would find the Ring than to waste powerful weapons or torture in the extraction of whatever garbled information he had about its whereabouts. Only Gandalf seems to have had the patience to tease some sort of coherent narrative out of his rambling babble.

As for disposing of the wraith once created, it seems that once the lesser wraiths have served their purpose, they become playthings for Sauron and his minions rather than useful servants.

Why not simply inject the blade into a strong living man, & let him join the Nazgul? 10 Black Riders would surely have brought home the Ring to Sauron.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

I suppose the answer would be the same as the one Squatter put before: the Morgul-blades were probably very rare weapons and not to be used just for stabbing around. Don't forget the blade broke when it hurt Frodo; the possibility of losing one such weapon in exchange for one little wraith (after a little time of waiting) is not much of a win. Also, Sauron wouldn't want to send some sort of newly recruited wraith on such an important mission; we know that he wanted to send only the Ringwraith because he was 100% sure of their loyalty: they had "no other will than his own" and they were bound by the Rings. Also, when Gandalf explains to Frodo what would've happened to him if he was not healed, he says that he'd become a lesser shadow under the command of the Wraiths. So not much of a gamble as well. One more less powerful wraith won't change the odds. That's to say if Sauron even had as many horses

Sauron could have used the Morgul Blade on the Mouth of Sauron, one of his most trusted servants. Why not commit to enslaving as a 10th Nazgul?

[davem]

Would there have been a spare ring? Actually, I'm struck by the symbolism of the nine rings on Sauron's nine fingers, & the Ringwraiths almost as manifestations of his fingers stretching out across M-e & his eye constantly seeking out the Ringbearer, as if Sauron is physically present everywhere ... (I think I read something similar in the One Ring's People's Guide to Tolkien)

[Nazgûl-king]

Interesting topic! I like many here do not think that being stabbed by a Morgul blade turns you into a Ringwraith, though it does seem to turn you into some form of wraith-like creature perhaps something like the Barrow-weights, or the dead men of Dunharrow perhaps? Or maybe even something like the dead seen in the Dead Marshes?

[Groin Redbeard]

I believe Boromir, son of Denethor I, was stabbed by a Morgul blade while defending Osgiliath, and while it didn't completely kill him it shortened his life. How did he recover from his wounds without turning into a wraith?

[Gwathagor]

The blade obviously did not pierce his heart.

[Gwathagor]

In lieu of the thread's title ("A 10th Nazgul?"): by definition, one can only become a Nazgul/Ringwraith by wearing a Ring of Power for extended periods of time. Getting stabbed by a Morgul blade might turn you into a Morgulbladewraith, but it's certainly not going to make you a Ringwraith.

[alatar]

I'd always wondered what would have become of Frodo if he had faded. Luckily - I guess - we never get to find out.

That said, in Rivendell we hear Gandalf talk about what 'could' have happened. How did Gandalf know? Where did he gain said knowledge? Was there any examples? Surely there must have been one, and that one human, as Gandalf compares Frodo to the yardstick of a human warrior (whom Frodo surpassed by many many days in bearing the splinter of Morgul).

I do agree that the notched "Wraithanator" knife born by the Witch-King was not a common artifact. I assume that this knife, and any like it, were the product of some spell that required some time and resources to prepare. So they weren't too common, but there must have been two - or another like item that created wraiths, as again the Wise have information about the effects of one. Why the King chose to use it against Frodo and not any Gondorian - like Faramir and Boromir - or elf or human king, I'll never know as it seems to me that he could have claimed the Ring with less expense, and used the 'hard to produce' knife for greater gain. A notched arrow may have been even more effective.

And note that I love the thought of a wraith Oliphaunt.