Whether we decide to dewhisker or not, the final touch requires special care. That is why it seems particularly useful to do the final sanding by hand, in the direction of the grain.
Sandpaper works faster if you sand across the grain, but you will also see the sanding marks more. However, when it comes to the final sanding, it should really only be a matter of quality.
Therefore, it is advisable to do the final sanding by hand, sanding in the direction of the grain. It may also be possible to select a finer grit than that used for the final sanding. After all, you only want to cut the fibres that are standing up, without creating new fibres (which might then stand up again later).
And because a particularly large amount of pigment is deposited in the sanding marks during staining, the sanding circles of the random orbital sander should be removed as thoroughly as possible in this case.