My adopted hamster was 6 months old when I got him, general advice details in thread

[CMB]

Maybe the next step would be to let him out of the ball onto one hand. Then off that hand to your other hand. Then off that hand and into the playpen.

Just build up gradually how many times he goes from hand to hand.

[herbi7]

I have had this with a Syrian I am fostering at the moment. He takes treats from fingertips but bites my hand. I took it really slowly and just did what didn't upset him, giving him lots of time to get used to me being around and a month later I'm now putting just a little bit of my hand as a step for him to get from his ball to the floor. He walks on it no problem, I use gloves if I need to get him down from somewhere and he'll step on to the gloves ok but if there's no exit route I haven't made him stand on my skin. Last night he stepped on my hand and stayed there! 6 weeks after he arrived. I think trust develops very slowly if they've been scared or mishandled but it does get there in the end. I think if you go slow enough he will end up being ok with you although I adopted a Russian dwarf who persisted in biting me to the end! She was a glove hamster!

[MaryRobinson]

Dora will now be held - in a wriggly sort of way! - and I can stroke her 99% of the time, unless she's feeling grumpy. It's great making this progress, isn't it... I'm sure Arnold will come on leaps and bounds. (Weirdly, if I lay my hand out flat in her play pen, Dora will actively jump over it... i think it's just a left-over hang-up!!)