: 1. The nine 'for mortal men' and seven for the 'dwarf lords'
: were made by the elves with Sauron's help & the elves possessed
: them. Celebrimbor (?) made the three for 'elven kings' in
: secret. Originally, the nine and seven weren't inteded for men
: & dwarves were they? I can't believe that was the elves'
: intent, nor Sauron's. The elves wanted them for themselves, and
: Sauron wanted them to dominate the elves. How did they become
: for men & dwarves?

The Rings of Power were originally intended for the Elves and the Elves alone. They never even divulged the existence of the Rings to their closest allies (the Numenoreans) until the time of the War of the Last Alliance, after the Downfall of Numenor.

The associations by kindred (three for the elven kings, seven for the dwarf-lords, nine for mortal men) were a purely poetic invention of the composer of the Ring-rhyme, which preserved a memory of what happened to the Rings after their dispositions had been determined (probably when Elendil and Gil-galad formed their alliance -- I can't see the Dwarves telling anyone they had Rings of Power until they were informed what the fuss was all about).

: 2. When Sauron put on the ruling ring the first time,
: Celebrimbor sensed it, wearing one of the three. Did any of the
: wearers of the nine or seven sense the ruling ring?...

All the Elves who were at that time wearing the Great Rings (and perhaps the Lesser Rings) sensed Sauron's action and intent immediately, and they took off their Rings. There is no textual reason to assume that any of the Rings were not being worn.

: ...I'm wondering if they were specifically made to NOT reveal
: to their wearers what was going on & had Celebrimbor not made
: the three, Sauron's original plan would have worked: the elves
: would have worn their tainted rings & used them until it was
: too late & they were caught by Sauron.

Sauron did not anticipate the Elves' discovery of his plan before he could put the final phase into motion, so there is no reason to guess that the Three had any special protective properties. All indications in the text are that the Elves were simply aware of Sauron when he put on the One Ring and spoke the fateful words later embedded in the Ring-rhyme.

: 3. Is it just me, or is this aspect & this age of Middle Earth one of the least developed by Tolkien?

:
: -Steve S.

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