Wootz steel is a type of ultra high in carbon crucible steel historically produced in India and Sri Lanka, known for its strength, sharpness, and characteristic banded microstructure. It originated by at least the mid-1st millennium BCE and was widely exported across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.

Wootz steel is characterized by high carbon content, typically between 1.0% and 2.0%, and distinctive banding patterns formed