Well, unless you have the Complete Fighter's Handbook and can Specialize in Two-Weapon Fighting Style to use two weapons of equal length.
I didn't realize only the dagger or hand axe could be used in the off-hand in 1e, I must have missed that part. Such an oddly specific restriction, surely there would be other weapons you could employ in this fashion.
1e DMG p. 70
"Attacks With Two Weapons:
Characters normally using a single weapon may choose to use one in each hand (possibly discarding the option of using a shield).
The second weapon must be either a dagger or hand axe. Employment of a second weapon is always at a penalty. The use of a second weapon causes the character to attack with his or her primary weapon at –2 and the secondary weapon at –4. If the user’s dexterity is below 6, the Reaction/Attacking Adjustment penalties shown in the PLAYERS HANDBOOK are added to EACH weapon attack. If the user’s dexterity is above 15, there is a downward adjustment in the weapon penalties as shown, although this never gives a positive (bonus) rating to such attacks, so that at 16 dexterity the secondary/primary penalty is –3/–1, at 17 –2/0, and at 18 –1/0.
The secondary weapon does not act as a shield or parrying device in any event."
The explicit exception in 1e was drow.
1e Unearthed Arcana page 10:
Dark elves do not gain the combat bonuses of the surface elves with regard to sword and bow, but may fight with two weapons without penalty,
provided each weapon may be easily wielded in one hand. They cannot use a shield when performing this type of combat, but may use a spiked buckler as one of their two weapons.
There are plenty of examples of NPC drow in 1e modules with two short swords or maces.