Here's the stats for the standard Battle Axe. Numbers may be adjusted since I copied this from my own install based on DF Revised.
[ITEM_WEAPON:ITEM_WEAPON_AXE_BATTLE]
[NAME:battle axe:battle axes]
[SIZE:800]
[SKILL:AXE]
[TWO_HANDED:47500]
[MINIMUM_SIZE:42500]
[MATERIAL_SIZE:4]
The format is ATTACK:EDGE/BLUNT:contact area:penetration size:verb2nd:verb3rd:noun:velocity multiplier
Penetration size currently only matters for edged attacks.
[ATTACK:EDGE:40000:6000:hack:hacks:NO_SUB:1250]
[ATTACK_PREPARE_AND_RECOVER:3:3]
[ATTACK:BLUNT:40000:6000:slap:slaps:flat:1250]
[ATTACK_PREPARE_AND_RECOVER:3:3]
[ATTACK:BLUNT:100:1000:strike:strikes:pommel:1000]
[ATTACK_PREPARE_AND_RECOVER:3:3]
Go through item_weapon.txt and compare different weapon values. Spears have more penetration and smaller contact areas, swords have bigger contact areas, etc.
As for getting it made out of a specific material, that gets tricky. Civs try to make their weapons out of metal by default, and will average towards better weapon-type metals if they are available. Sometimes you get wacky stuff like silver whips if they don't have a lot of iron/copper.
Wood weapons only get made if the civ has [WOOD_WEAPONS] in its entity file, except for ranged weapons - which can always be made of wood OR metal. However, the civ will prefer metal if available.
You can make a reaction which creates the weapon out of the exact material you want (like a glass sword or what have you), but you have to remove the weapon from your allowed list - otherwise, traders will just bring metal versions. This means the weapon is "foreign", which doesn't make it any harder to equip, but traders of your race will never bring it naturally.