A newly designed and easy-to-use increment puncher (in French: minisonde de prélèvement; in German: Zuwachsstecher; in Italian: puntura incrementale) allows the extraction of wood and bark cores from living tree stems for the study of radial increment, cell wall formation, lignification and wound reactions. This article describes the technical features and gives instructions for use. The biological reactions in the injured zone surrounding the punched holes are presented in a case study on eastern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.).