For me it depends on the project. If it's for aggressive shaping handcut pattern makers rasps are great. They come in medium and finer grits and they work fast without sacrificing quality. They can be expensive but they outperform most options I've tried.
For cleaning up a handle hole, or simple refinements, my choices would change. This applies to whether the tool is flat or half round.
For working curves, as simple as it is - I'll also go super simple and stick some coarse sandpaper on to a strip of wood that I can bend like a bow as I cut with it.