There is an interesting story about the two, when they were asked by Rikyu to each pick a bamboo rest for a teakettle lid, and Doan picked a rugged one with bamboo joints, while Shoan chose a smooth one without any joints, suggesting that Doan had a open-hearted personality in contrast to Shoan's delicate one (the "Koshin Gegaki").
利休が二人に竹の蓋置を選ばせたところ、道安は節のついたゴツゴツとした蓋置を、少庵は節のない滑らかな蓋置を選んだというエピソードがあり、道安は磊落な性格、少庵は繊細な性格であったとされている（『江岑夏書』）。