A recoil starter comprising: a pull rope reel around which a pull rope is wound, the pull rope reel rotating by pulling out the pull rope; a ratchet wheel which is configured to rotate with the rotation of the pull rope reel and has a protruding part protruding toward a radially outer side of a rotation axis; a pulley rotatable coaxially with the ratchet wheel; a ratchet pawl which is supported on the pulley on the radially outer side of the ratchet wheel, is capable of swinging between an engaged position where the ratchet pawl engages with the protruding part and a disengaged position where the ratchet pawl does not engage with the protruding part, and is always urged toward the engaged position; and an outer wall which is provided on the pulley, has a support surface which supports a base end portion of the ratchet pawl from a side opposite to the tip portion of the ratchet pawl across a swinging axis of the ratchet pawl when the ratchet pawl is in the engagement position, wherein the base end portion of the ratchet pawl has an arc shape centered on the swinging axis, and wherein the support surface has a circular arc shape also centered on the swinging axis; wherein an end surface having an arcuate cross section of the base end portion of the ratchet pawl comes into sliding contact with the support surface, characterized in that the outer wall has a foreign matter discharge portion through which the internal space of the pulley on which the ratchet pawl is disposed communicates with the external space of the pulley; wherein an opening portion on the internal space side of the foreign matter discharge portion is formed in at least the support surface. a pull rope reel around which a pull rope is wound, the pull rope reel rotating by pulling out the pull rope; a ratchet wheel which is configured to rotate with the rotation of the pull rope reel and has a protruding part protruding toward a radially outer side of a rotation axis; a pulley rotatable coaxially with the ratchet wheel; a ratchet pawl which is supported on the pulley on the radially outer side of the ratchet wheel, is capable of swinging between an engaged position where the ratchet pawl engages with the protruding part and a disengaged position where the ratchet pawl does not engage with the protruding part, and is always urged toward the engaged position; and an outer wall which is provided on the pulley, has a support surface which supports a base end portion of the ratchet pawl from a side opposite to the tip portion of the ratchet pawl across a swinging axis of the ratchet pawl when the ratchet pawl is in the engagement position, wherein the base end portion of the ratchet pawl has an arc shape centered on the swinging axis, and wherein the support surface has a circular arc shape also centered on the swinging axis; wherein an end surface having an arcuate cross section of the base end portion of the ratchet pawl comes into sliding contact with the support surface, characterized in that the outer wall has a foreign matter discharge portion through which the internal space of the pulley on which the ratchet pawl is disposed communicates with the external space of the pulley; wherein an opening portion on the internal space side of the foreign matter discharge portion is formed in at least the support surface.