The only drawback to the Gesshin 400 is that it dishes faster than the Beston 500. Otherwise, it feels better and is surprisingly aggressive on abrasion resistant steels. The Gesshin 400, 2k and 4k are basically sold as a line and work very well together (fast, great feel, aggressive edges) although I'd say the 4k leaves a more aggressive edge than I expected and doesn't shave as well as I expected. It is harder than stones like the Rika but then again, that's one of the softest stones around, barring the Superstones. The Rika leaves a more refined edge than the 4k. I'd say the Gesshin 5k (splash n go), which is a bit harder than the Rika and not as grainy as the 4k, refines an edge even more. I sometimes use this stone as a final pre-stropping stone. The G5k is a little slow unless you actually soak it for a bit, too. I use the Gesshin 1k over the 2k because it is a splash n go and works quickly enough for my taste. It is not a slow stone by any measure. Basically, it comes down to whether you want a soaker AND whether you like your edges aggressive and not so pretty or more refined and shiny. For me, I would probabably take the G4k edge and put a few strokes on an 8k SS just because that's the kind of edge I like.