I've not tried it with Syrian hamsters.
When I used to be sales manager for the Midland and Southern hamster clubs and going on the displays with both clubs there was a way to tame and handle the Syrians, we'd get them out and just put them on our chests and stroke them, the only problem with that was I always had wood shavings on my top, usually hamster wee or if it was female there'd be the "perfume" or I'd totally fell for the ham and I'd have to take it home
