I'm really hoping someone who has used a lot of AEB-L will chime in. I'd love to find out how to make the process easier.
I sharpen AEB-L the same way that I do any other steel. I use the long side of my rotary platen at 25% speed. 120, 400, 600, 800 and an old 1200 grit belts. After establishing a burr with the 120, I remove those scratches alternating sides. It usually takes about 8 passes per side. I continue this method all the way through the grits. The burr is not removed,it just gets smaller and thinner after each grit. The worn out 1200 grit belt (I think it's a Norax) gets more passes and I lighten up the pressure as I see the burr turn to really thin foil like material and start falling off. When the foil is gone I lightly strop it forty times alternating sides and then I'm done. It usually takes 5 to 10 minutes. The rotary platen, slow speeds and sharp 120-800 grit belts are key. I hope this helps