Their life expectancy is dramatically less than a traditional Windsor. Windsor chairs originated in Europe in the late 17th century. The European craftsmen of this period used slab and stick construction to produce chairs. Their chairs often had front legs with knees and ball and claw feet. The backs normally not only contained spindles, they also had a decorative splat.
Splats are thin boards that run vertically from the seat to the most upper part of the back.
Often the splat would be decorated with cut-outs or carvings. Early in the 18th century Windsors were all the rage in London. They were fashionable indoors and out, no garden could be without Windsor chairs. Socialites in our young country looked to Europe for trends in style. Social status was often based on ones abilities to follow these European trends.