A recoil starter comprising: a case that is disposed on a surface of an engine; a reel pivot that is formed on the case; a rope reel that is rotatably supported on the reel pivot and that has a reel portion formed on an outer circumference thereof around which a rope is wound; a recoil spring that rotationally urges the rope reel to rewind the rope; a cam that is engageable with the engine via a clutch so as to transmit a rotational power to the engine; a power storage spring that is interposed between the rope reel and the cam to store a rotational power of the rope reel and that transmits the stored rotational power to the cam to thereby start the engine; and a power storage ratchet mechanism that is disposed between facing surfaces of the rope reel and the cam and that is configured to disengage the rope reel and the cam so that the power storage spring is coiled up when the rope reel rotates in an engine-starting direction, and engage the rope reel and the cam so that the rope reel and the cam rotate together while keeping a coiled-up condition of the power s tor age spring when the rope reel rotates in an opposite direction to the engine-starting direction, wherein the power storage ratchet mechanism includes: a cam groove that is formed on a surface of the cam which faces to the rope reel; a ratchet member that is disposed on a surface of the rope reel which faces to the cam and that includes a ratchet pawl engageable with the cam groove; and characterized in that the power storage ratchet mechanism further includes a friction plate disposed between the ratchet member and the cam, and wherein the friction plate is configured to retreat the ratchet pawl to disengage the ratchet pawl and the cam groove by being rotated in the engine-starting direction linkedly with tune rope reel; and release the ratchet pawl to engage the ratchet pawl and the cam being rotated in the opposite direction linkedly with the rope reel. a case that is disposed on a surface of an engine; a reel pivot that is formed on the case; a rope reel that is rotatably supported on the reel pivot and that has a reel portion formed on an outer circumference thereof around which a rope is wound; a recoil spring that rotationally urges the rope reel to rewind the rope; a cam that is engageable with the engine via a clutch so as to transmit a rotational power to the engine; a power storage spring that is interposed between the rope reel and the cam to store a rotational power of the rope reel and that transmits the stored rotational power to the cam to thereby start the engine; and a power storage ratchet mechanism that is disposed between facing surfaces of the rope reel and the cam and that is configured to disengage the rope reel and the cam so that the power storage spring is coiled up when the rope reel rotates in an engine-starting direction, and engage the rope reel and the cam so that the rope reel and the cam rotate together while keeping a coiled-up condition of the power s tor age spring when the rope reel rotates in an opposite direction to the engine-starting direction, wherein the power storage ratchet mechanism includes: a cam groove that is formed on a surface of the cam which faces to the rope reel; a ratchet member that is disposed on a surface of the rope reel which faces to the cam and that includes a ratchet pawl engageable with the cam groove; and characterized in that the power storage ratchet mechanism further includes a friction plate disposed between the ratchet member and the cam, and a cam groove that is formed on a surface of the cam which faces to the rope reel; a ratchet member that is disposed on a surface of the rope reel which faces to the cam and that includes a ratchet pawl engageable with the cam groove; and characterized in that the power storage ratchet mechanism further includes a friction plate disposed between the ratchet member and the cam, and wherein the friction plate is configured to retreat the ratchet pawl to disengage the ratchet pawl and the cam groove by being rotated in the engine-starting direction linkedly with tune rope reel; and release the ratchet pawl to engage the ratchet pawl and the cam being rotated in the opposite direction linkedly with the rope reel.