Metal stats and what makes them good?

[Jetrel]

So I have dug through the games data and compiled an excel spreadsheet.
I have density, impact (yield, fracture, strain) and the same stats for compression, tensile, torsion and shear. As well as max edge? I have a stack of other metals from mods in there too. What I am trying to make sense of is what makes a metal any better or worse at a particular job than another.

I get higher density=better blunt, but what I want to know is what stat do i look for when making a sword or axe or spear etc and which of these stats makes an armor better?

In an example of comparing iron vs steel
iron has a lower yield rating than steel
lower fracture rating than steel
and mixed strain at yield between the two
same density, same max edge.

If steel is better then..
Higher yield numbers = better weapons/armor?
Higher fracture = better weapons/armor?
What does strain at yield mean in simple terms

How does density relate to armors and to some extent does it increase slashing/piercing damage (impact force)?
I assume max edge makes a slashing weapon better than others.
Someone please help me with this lol, im drowning in numbers.

[Commisar Jon Fuklaw]

DFwiki is your friend:

https://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/Material_science

[Gosera]

Here you go https://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/Weapon#Technical

[Robert]

There are a lot of material details which get calculated by the engine... but overall it boils down to this:

Steel weapons and armor are great, almost all other metals/alloys are inferior.
For blunt weapons like warhammers, metals with higher density (mostly silver) aber better than steel.
The quality of an item will add multipliers to the stats, meaning if you have a masterwork weapon of metal X and a standard weapon of metal Y, then X could have better stats even if Y is the "better" metal.

Then there's a special metal which you find deeeeep down low, which is insanely valuable and way better than steel, except for blunt weapons (because it's so light).