Paper products such as tissues can be made using a furnish comprising surface enhanced pulp fibers (“SEPF”). In some embodiments, SEPF have a weighted average fiber length of at least 0.3 millimeters (mm) and an average hydrodynamic specific surface area of at least 10 square meters per gram (m2/g). In some embodiments, a furnish or a paper product can comprise at least 2% SEPF by dry weight. In some embodiments, a paper product comprising SEPF can be formed from a furnish having a freeness of 650 ml Canadian Standard Freeness (CSF) or less, optionally 600 ml CSF or less.