A unique art

Carving and his current projects are the reasons for keeping him awake. But it isn’t just his hobby — it’s his life. It is what he does everyday, all day, sometimes from 4 a.m. to 11 p.m.

The International Falls native started carving figures out of wood at a very young age and then in 1999, after a car accident left him disabled and unable to work, he started carving moose antlers. To this day, Sabotta still carves fish out of wood, but working with antlers has become his true passion.

Sabotta said he has always seen himself as an artist and has taught himself this unique carving trade over the years.

“When I was little, I always got art supplies for my birthday and Christmas,” he said. “I have always been into arts and crafts of some sort.”

He got his start working with moose antlers after seeing a carving at The Outdoorsman Headquarters.

“A lady I came across was talking about this moose antler carving she had seen in The Outdoorsman,” Sabotta recalled. “They were asking $3,500 for the thing and she asked if she thought I’d be able to do something like that, and I told her I easily could. She got me the antlers and the rest is history.”

His first, antler carving turned out to be a variety of nature scenes and the finished product sold for $1,500. He carved his second and third set of antlers for the woman and her boyfriend to show his appreciation for getting him started and for his first set of antlers.

Now, more than 300 complete carvings and years of practice later, Sabotta has turned carving moose antlers into a full blown profession.

“I’ve got carvings all over the country,” he said. “Besides locals, I get a lot of tourists who want them, too.”

Sabotta says he gives a lot of his attention to fine detail, regardless of the fact that it takes up the most time, and costs him the most broken drills.

“I sometimes go through 6-7 Dremels and dozens of drill bits in a single project,” he said.

Regardless, details are what has made Sabotta proud of each finished product for the past 12 years.

“I can’t wait to get done with a carving so I can see what it looks like,” he said. “I once did an entire flock of geese taking off — that one was my favorite. I think it was pretty amazing.”

Sabotta said he is always challenging himself and testing his ability. When he carves trees, they aren’t straight up and down, they always have twists and turns with little birds or animals perched on the branches. He started carving antlers exclusively with relief, which is the three-dimensional look, but as he perfected his work, he started implementing more of the cutout.

“One time, I had so much detail in a carving that I hid Waldo in it,” he laughed. “The guy I carved it for didn’t believe me when I asked him where Waldo was. The day after he picked his antlers up is when he finally found him.”

No two carvings of Sabotta’s are identical, and he has had some unique requests.

“One that stands out in my mind is a family portrait,” he remembered. “It was difficult, but I think it turned out OK.”

Outdoor scenes are Sabotta’s specialty and his most frequent request. Typically, Sabotta’s customers have a general idea of what they want their carving to look like, some bring in photographs, he said. Yet, there are a few who just want something carved into their antlers. He said he will find out what his client enjoys and use that as inspiration for their carving.

“I like to personalize my work to what the people will enjoy,” he said.

On average, from start to finish, a set of antlers can take Sabotta 150 hours over a two week span to complete.

“It can take longer, though, it depends on what people want carved,” he explained.

He also said that he can work on multiple projects at once, especially when he becomes disgruntled with one or the other.

Donating his work is a passion of Sabotta’s. He has given numerous carvings to organizations like the Ruffed Grouse Society or the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association for banquets. He has also presented individuals with special donations.

Nerves stay away when Sabotta is carving. He said he doesn’t worry about ruining an antler because he taught himself how to cover up any mistakes. The only time he gets a little uneasy is when he carves gun stalks worth thousands of dollars. If frustration sets in, he walks away before letting mistakes happen.

Sabotta’s least favorite part of this art is something he doesn’t have to stop and think about — it’s the smell.

Sabotta may be growing immune to the smell, however, he said it has a reputation of not settling well with others.

“I’ve had people walk in my shed while I’m carving and gag,” he chuckled.

He compared the less than desirable stench to what burning flesh or burning hair smells like, and when it is confined to the tiny space Sabotta carves in, “It gets pretty bad,” he said.

The smell was a main deciding factor why Sabotta declined an offer to teach the art at Rainy River Community College. He said it would be too overwhelming, plus moose antlers are becoming more and more rare.

There is no set fee when it comes to what Sabotta charges for a carving. Size of the antler and how much work is wanted on it factor in, but pricing can change from carving to carving.

Sabotta has never advertised his art and he kept busy exclusively by word of mouth, especially around the holiday season. If anyone has an antler they’d like him to carve, Sabotta can be contacted at 240-4040.